It’s great that social media education has been a topic frequently discussed on the web. It seems like there is general agreement among social media users/evangelists/consultants that education is crucial. However social media education can be quite vast and can pretty much mean anything. It’s like trying to teach someone to be a mechanic in a few days or even a few hours, there’s a lot to learn. The challenge is keeping the trainees up to date on that latest tools/tactics/strategies.
As you know social media is a very dynamic field and what you learn today might change tomorrow. So if we keep seeing new tools/techniques/strategies emerging almost daily, how to we create and administer social media training programs? My answer, focus on the core of social media principles. Here are the main topics I would consider (I’m going to leave a few out because I’m more interested in what you have to say):
- how to identify existing social media communities/create new ones
- understanding how to monitor social media and respond to positive/negative feedback
- identification of relevant social media tools/platforms
- high level social media strategy (steps to get started)
- benefits/value of social media and risks of social media
- resources needed to succeed in social media
- case studies/examples/results of social media campaigns
- social media measurement
So here I have listed 8 high level topics that make up a part of what I consider the social media core. Instead of focusing social media education efforts on details (that will change quickly) I think it would be much more valuable to focus on applications that are relatively constant. The details can be left to the people implementing the actual strategy or to the consultants that are advising the company.
Do you agree with me? What other topics would you add to the social media core?
Jacob,
It's also important to address how to best incorporate social media into the rest of your marketing activity. I see social media as a great informal research tool and fabulous customer service tool. I think too often companies think they can advertise through social media when it's really more about building and maintaining relationships.
Elaine Starling
Starling Media Services, Inc.
Good question Jacob. The education I am experiencing at the Social Media Academy is one that will endure; for it is based around defining the overall changes that have taken place in the buying process and how each department in an organizational chart can utilize Social Media to impact the bottom line. The gains will stem from a shift in perspective and behavior that will simply take a while to become mainstream comprehension. While the technology is fast paced, its matters more to make sound business decisions and less about using the right tools.
Good question Jacob. The education I am experiencing at the Social Media Academy is one that will endure; for it is based around defining the overall changes that have taken place in the buying process and how each department in an organizational chart can utilize Social Media to impact the bottom line. The gains will stem from a shift in perspective and behavior that will simply take a while to become mainstream comprehension. While the technology is fast paced, its matters more to make sound business decisions and less about using the right tools.