Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

1. Think of business objectives first -- If you want to do it because everyone else is, or because you want to seem like you're "in the know," it won't work. Make sure your audience is comfortable with blogs, podcasts, online communities, etc. If there aren't strategic business objectives tied to an initiative, it is set up for failure.

2. Social media does not standalone -- it's best used as part of a larger marketing strategy. It won't take the place of other marketing initiatives. It's best used as a complement to marketing activities already occurring.

3. It's more of a cost saver than a revenue generator -- All of the experts I've spoken to use social media activities to help defer costs and generate word of mouth. How many hits to your blog do you get, compared to banner ad clicks? Other websites talk about your online game or YouTube videos will add to your brand awareness. If you are trying to solely drive revenue through it, you may hit a brick wall.

4. Start small -- the benefit of social media is that it's very cheap. Try one thing, and see how it goes. You can always add on or take away as necessary.

Today's issue of 1to1 Weekly features a roundtable discussion with people actually doing social media at Intel, Cisco, and HP. They all work within the marketing organization, and have good insight into actually implementing social media strategy. It's valuable insight for other marketers looking for examples of how other companies are approaching social media.

The interview is broken into 2 parts, so look for part II in next week's issue of 1to1 Weekly.