3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Joining a Social Network

Social media can be overwhelming. If you read Mashable or TechCrunch you could go insane trying to keep up with all of the different social networks and start-ups. It is tempting to join every new network, but unrealistic and definitely not effective.

When joining a new social network ask yourself three things:

1. How much time can I commit to this site?
Don't join a new site unless you can invest time into it. And not just time in creating a profile, I'm referring to active time on the site. It is never useful to join a site just for the sake of joining. It is kind of like having a gym membership, but never actually going. You feel good, but you haven't accomplished anything.

2. Why am I joining this site?
You should have a set objective. Every new network you join should provide some benefit for you. Know what your objective is before you join. I use Facebook for fun, Twitter for learning, and Linkedin for networking. You can have totally different objectives, but it is important to know why you are joining a site.

3. What can I offer?
Do you have ideas or information worth sharing? Or are you joining to just push your website or blog? Self promotion is fine in small doses, but you should be able to offer up something to the community you are joining. Social networks are not about you, they are about the community.

Social Media's Impact on Brand Image

Neal had a bad experience with returning a pair of defective running shoes to Nike. He decided to write about it and tell others about his disappointing experience. Just happens that Neal writes for The Wall Street Journal and millions of people can read his article in print and online.

Today, we are all broadcasters. Sure, we've always had our circle of friends to share experiences with about a product, service, or company, but with the internet, our circle has significantly grown. Whether it takes the form of a simple status update on Facebook ("I am waiting in line at ___ and they are so slow!"), a product review on Amazon ("I had trouble with ___ and it was actually hard to use"), or a long, detailed blog post, all of our experiences with brands now reach a much wider audience than even 10 years ago.

Nike may have gotten unlucky with Neal, but had they known he'd write about his poor experience for everyone to read, they would have treated the situation differently. Since we all have the potential to talk about our brand experiences to an audience, everyone becomes a potential misstep or opportunity for a company. Keeping in mind Long Tail principles, even though you may only have 50 friends to broadcast to (what damage can that really do?), when you add up all the small circles of influence, it can really become a powerful force. So, if you are a person with a large sphere of influence like Neal or you are an average social media user, every time a company interacts with a customer, there is very real potential for it to be discussed in the social media realm (and become a permanent mark on your brand) . How should social media effect the way companies now look at customer service, return policies and maintaining brand image?

Be Thinking Like Arby's, but Don't Be Arby's

In this tough economy, being on top doesn't matter, as companies like Best Buy received a lot of mouth-drops by analysts who projected good things to come. Instead, the company was prognosticating cutbacks. It's a given that Best Buy won't buckle, but the franchise restaurants miffed by their own brand advertisement might want to reach out direct to their consumers-- to see what it is they really want. Arby's isn't on the forefront of every consumers' mind (of course not!) but its slogan suggests how customers should be thinking about brands: constantly.

One franchise restaurant I'm predicting is going to file for Chapter 11... Chili's. Over the years, they have tried to reinvent food offerings and the customer experience, but had not the legs to stand on. Reacting way too quickly to the competitive franchisee climate, Chili's went from "Spicilicious" to "Pepper in Some Fun" over the course of one year. That's a short window to inform the consumer of a new demographic and a new experience. Confusion then ensued and led to less and less door traffic.

Applebee's did it right... waiting quite some time before introducing its new logo design and spruce-up of "Welcome to the Neighborhood." Nights are packed with college students scarfing down half-price appetizers. The big difference between Chili's and Applebee's: I don't see myself at Chili's. Who are they anyway?

The one chain restaurant that I will promote until I experience my own drop of the mouth is T.G.I. Friday's. "In here, it's always Friday." Ahhh... just rolls right off your tongue, and you know it's going to be a party. It's loud, the food is great, and the atmosphere makes you want to embrace everyone around you. It probably didn't hurt to also receive reigning endorsement from Guy Fieri, host of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," touting his own menu of succulent entrees. Tomorrow I'm going there. Can't wait.

While you don't have to offer horsey sauce and $5 dinner combos to be successful, you certainly need to have brand consistency through and through. Best of luck, Chili's.