The World of Social Media

Tips on how to make it work for you

At Thorp & Company, we have employed several social media channels to increase awareness of our services, the expertise of our clients and as a new way to build relationships with reporters.

Web 2.0, social media, tweeting – these buzzwords are everywhere, but what do they mean? Social media are online communication and networking venues including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Myspace, podcasts, webcasts and the list goes on, that people and businesses are using to create two-way conversations and interactivity with tools such as comment boxes, RSS feeds, recommendations, photo and video sharing, etc.

Last year Thorp & Company started this venture by upgrading our company Web site (www.thorpco.com). This year we have continued pushing forward with several initiatives including webcasts that can be found on our Web site, our Thorp and Company’s Source Blog (http://thorpandcompany.blogspot.com), developing Thorp and Company’s LinkedIn page, Facebook page and starting a Twitter account.

Our engagement in social media has proven to be beneficial for networking, building relationships and raising awareness of our brand. We have connected with several reporters through Twitter and our blog; we have joined and participated in several professional groups on Facebook and are gaining ‘fans’ of Thorp & Company’s page daily; we follow various industry experts’ and reporters’ blogs and Twitter feeds and have seen them return the interest.

We would like to offer some tips that may be helpful when considering joining the realm of social media.

Learn the Basics

When taking a step into the social media world, it is important to understand the basics of Web 2.0 and the different venues. We suggest hosting a training session for the company’s executives who may be more hesitant about getting involved in online activity. It’s always harder for people to accept change and new ways of doing things if they don’t fully understand it.

A training session can include a breakdown of the different types of social media, what industries are most active in each area, the cost of getting involved and how it all works. Social media can be very simple and easy to use as long as you understand its purpose.

Develop a Plan

After gaining a basic understanding of what social media is and learning about the various channels, it is important to develop a plan of how you and your company can use these tools to meet your goals.

The first step in this plan should be determining who your audience is and what channels they are using. Next, you should develop goals that you want to accomplish using social media. These goals should align with your company’s business goals including increasing brand awareness, sales and developing new business. An action plan should be drafted with strategies and tactics you will use to meet your goals. Use a timeline to map out when you will implement each of your social media strategies; for example, the dates and topics for blog posts, deciding when you will create and distribute a webcast and how and when you will announce your emergence into social media.

Stay Active

The best way to ensure you see results from engaging in social media is to stay active. Basic social media takes little investment aside from certain features that can be added for small costs, but it does take time. The amount of hours you invest in social media is your choice, and it’s fair to say that the amount of time you put in is going to determine what you see in return.

Social media is everywhere and everyone wants a piece of it, but is it for everyone and every business? At Thorp & Company we think there’s a way for everyone to get involved in the new movement, even if it’s simply by participating in a webcast and posting it on your company Web site. We’d like to hear how your company is involved in social media and what is and isn’t working. What are the results and benefits you have found by getting engaged?

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