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.

The Balance Between Transparency and Privacy

We have constantly been told by experts (and our parents) to not give away personal information online. Addresses, phone numbers, where we will be at certain times, and personal ID numbers are all off limits because they could be used against us to harm us financially or physically.

Being transparent and "real" with online activity and identity are very important these days. Instead of hiding behind "coolguy14" on blogs, online accounts, and screen names, many people are opting to use their real names and become more transparent with their actions. But have we become too comfortable with transparency? Are we ringing the dinner bell, ready to serve up our personal info?

I regularly read/watch a lot of different bloggers and social media people out on the internet. I know what these people look like, what some of their interests are, their ages, and where many of them live. Does Gary Vaynerchuk ever worry that someone will track him down and kill him? Okay, so that's a little extreme, but what could a malicious person do with all of this easily accessible information?

Now more than ever it is extremely important to be mindful of what kind of information we provide, and how we provide it. If we tweet our home address, that information will always be out there for people to find for years. Mistakes and slip-ups are very possible with the level of comfort many now feel online. I believe it is important that you are truthful and real with people you interact with online, but building online brand identity and equity doesn't mean you have to risk your safety or future.

Social Media and Expecting the Worst

Convince&Convert have a great blog post about companies assuming the worst from social media.

Why do companies assume the worst from social media?

Because they have no control. They worry that when they open themselves up to criticism that consumers will do their worst and unload on them. Companies and people fear things that they cannot control.

Three things companies need to realize:

1. Your customers are already talking about you. This is obvious to 99.9% of you reading this blog post, but some people still don't get it. Do a simple blog or twitter search and see what comes up.

2. Social media is an opportunity, not a threat. Social media gives you the opportunity to connect with customers in a personal way. Creating 100 brand ambassadors through social media will do more for your brand than a 30 second commercial to 1 million people could ever do. Take a look at any article about Microsoft or Apple. In the comments section you will see people defending their brand whether it is a Mac or PC. Leverage social media effectively and you can create consumers who will do the marketing for you.

3. Social media isn't a fad. Change isn't always easy, but evolution is necessary to survive. Your company wouldn't continue to constantly put out the same product year after year without making any improvements to the product, would it? So why would you continue to use the same marketing strategy year after year when there are better ways to connect with consumers?


The Risk and Reward

You never assume the worst will happen in any given situation, so why do it with social media? If I assumed the worst about my drive to work this morning, I probably would have stayed home. Just like with every other decision in life, you should calculate the risk/reward and act accordingly. Social media is no different. Rewards are waiting for those who act.