Top Ten List – Lessons Learned!

I love taking Continuing Education at McMaster because each course is unique and there is always much knowledge to gain.  This is my last post for my Social Media Research & Techniques.  The focus for our last assignment is to discuss the important lessons that we learned.  Here goes:

10.  There are endless tools, platforms and programs available to enhance research and evaluation of PR & marketing campaigns. The trick is to find the one that best suits your needs and to keep on top of what is new.

9.  When blogging, get to the point and keep it concise.

8.  Just like your grade 5 teacher taught you, spelling and grammar does count.  Keep your copy clean and accurate to build your credibility.  It really is true that the credibility of the writer decreases with the number of errors.

7.  One of the most difficult things to do when creating a plan is to decide what you want out of it.  If your goals are not really specific and defined, then it is really difficult to evaluate if you are successful in your campaign.  This is also very important when justifying a social media campaign to someone who has not bought into the social media.  You need to provide them with clear objectives so they are well aware of your end goal.

6.  Group work is always a challenge, even with the most awesome group.  I personally find it really difficult to brain storm, assign tasks and resolve issues through a shared document on-line.  Then I lost access, which really threw off my plan of action.   Plans are meant to change!

5.  Return of investment may really differ on a social media campaign compared to a marketing campaign.  The ROI may be “softer” and less direct as far as outcomes.

4. The importance of blogging and the influence they have in mainstream media is significant.  They may not be “reporters”’ however, they have an important role to disseminate ideas, news, opinions and conversation.  It still needs to be written well to be influential.

3.  Twitter is more than just a 140 character micro blog.  It can be an effective tool to find your audience and speak to them.  Be authentic, timely and don’t forget to have some fun.  You are more likely to have people follow and interact with you if you are enjoying yourself.

2.  Measurement tools are out there on the internet and many of them are free.  Make sure you set up your campaign well, so you know you can measure your metrics.  You need to set this up well in advance of setting your plan into place.

1.  Most likely my biggest lesson learned is the importance of the multi-level approach.  Twitter is good, Facebook fine, blogging is beneficial; however, using all three or other tools in conjunction with one another provides a platform.  Your message can resonate with your audience on a blog, discussion and links can take place on Twitter and more in-depth discussion, pictures and documentation on Facebook.  They are great tools on their own, but together they have more impact and power.  Don’t be afraid to give them a try and experiment a little.  You have nothing to lose.