Tool and Tactics and Knowledge oh my
From time to time I see a post about social media that proclaims “It’s the Tools” or ‘It’s the tactics” or “It’s the knowledge”. Each one of these posts inevitably go on to proclaim why it’s the tools, tactics, or knowledge that are the main driving force behind social media. Each one of these post is also horribly wrong. It’s not just the tools or the tactics or the knowledge that single handedly drive a social media effort. It’s a combination of all these working in harmony. This harmony is different from industry to industry. Some industries could have a heavy lean on the tools. While others could have a heavy lean on the tactics or knowledge.
If you agree it’s just the tools or tactics or knowledge then I would ask you to answer the following questions.
- Who are you trying to reach?
- If you can’t answer the 1st question then stop right there. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go directly to jail.
- If you can answer the first question congratulations and here is $200. Can you answer the 2nd question?
- Where are those you are trying to reach?
- If you can’t answer the 2st question then stop right there. Do not pass go. Do not collect $400. Go directly to jail.
- If you were able to answer question 2 here is a pat on the back and $400. Can you answer the 3rd?
- Why social media the best option?
- If you can’t answer this one or more importantly if you can’t truthfully answer this one STOP. DO not pas go. Do not collect $600. Go directly to jail.
- If you were able to answer this one then you get a High five and here is your $600. Ready to try for question 4?
- Is your company ready to engage those you are trying to reach?
- If you can’t answer this one or more importantly if you can’t truthfully answer this one STOP. DO not pas go. Do not collect $800. Go directly to jail.
- If you were able to answer this one then you get a High five and here is your $800
I’m going to stop here because questions 3 or 4 are usually the stumbling blocks for most companies. Question 3 is a really hard one to be quite honest. The wording of the question tends to trip people up. Your not just asking is social media is right for this effort. Your also going to be asking where does social media fit into my overall digital strategy. This is by far the hardest question to answer because you need to go down the digital strategy rabbit hole to even begin to answer this question.
If by some glorious event you can answer question 3 then you are hit with question 4. What does engage mean to you? What does engage mean to your customers? What does engage mean to the big brains you consult with? This is yet another rabbit hole that is going to take time to figure out for your company.
Question 3 and 4 are what I like to call the Knock Out (KO) questions. KO questions are meant to find the hole in your thinking or logic behind why social media is the best option for your customer and company. These 2 question if you are not prepared to answer them will stop your effort dead in its tracks.
There is a reason we have to ask these question. If you don’t then you are setting yourself and your effort up for failure from the start. Please do yourself and your customers a favor and answer these questions.
Seems to me that Question 4 is most important. These are engagement tools, not soapboxes for making proclamations to the masses.