Social or new media has become an integral part of public relations.

Suddenly your executives have gone from resistant to all embracing of new media. You’ve even seen them tweeting from their iPhones during meetings.

But has their enthusiasm (or at least curiosity) aided your public relations objectives?

In talking with social media experts (not self-proclaimed experts but individuals who have been in the corporate and political trenches), here’s what I’ve found gets results.

Above all else, everyone involved needs to keep in mind that social media is all about RELATIONSHIPS: One-to-one. Connecting with the individual. Sharing experiences with, not preaching to.

Then here are 6 points the executives need to follow when creating and implementing a social media plan:

1. Know whom you want to reach. Find out where they are gathering and then go there. That means not only the general site, but finding groups within the site that will enable you to reach more of the demographic you seek.
2. Be clear on what value are you going to give. What motivation would your desired contact have to engage with you? Is she getting useful information? Is he being entertained? Are contacts experiencing a sense of belonging to a bigger cause? Or are they perhaps flattered by being a select group of “insiders?”
3. Be real. Tell the truth. Let your personality come through. And don’t send complimentary comments to yourself using an alias!
4. Listen. Productive relationships are two way. Listen to what your contacts are telling you, and acknowledge their input.
5. Be quick. Social media concerns the here and now. You especially can’t afford to be slow in responding when you or your organization has a crisis. If you aren’t in the discussion immediately, your opponents will have defined the debate before you even join the dialog.
6. Be accessible to your director of social media. He or she is eager to help you use the new media. The better their access to you, the better they’ll be able to get you the results you want.

And to keep up to date with tools and strategies to increase your impact in all areas of communication – day-to-day as well as high-stake communication situations, I invite you to visit http://www.speaktolead.com

From – Lou Hampton, The QuoteAbility Coach and Reputation Czar

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