Wanna compete for one of those jobs? You better have social media chops, for sure. That’s a given. But it’s the intangibles, not the social media stuff, that determines whether you’ll succeed.

Here are some traits you’ll need to run an effective social media program:

Leadership

You’re gonna ask colleagues — many with years of experience on you — to buy into a new paradigm. These are people who’ve done their jobs one way for years. To make it worse, you’re the new kid on the block. Earning the trust of your co-workers is no easy feat.

A good leader must have compassion, vision, thick skin, patience, and a natural ability to command confidence. Check out what Amber said about growing into leadership.

Vision

Most social media efforts start piecemeal: Somebody starts a Facebook page. Somebody else starts another one. Somebody dabbles in blogging for a few months.

Your job is to provide strategic direction. You’ll need to think like a CEO. You’ll need to know where the company is headed and where social media fits in that picture. Think long-term and approach problem-solving from a corporate, rather than departmental, point-of-view.

Most of all, you’ll need to make choices. You’re gonna have to say no sometimes. You’ll disappoint people. Without a clear vision, making those tough decisions is even harder.

Diplomacy

Marketing wants to push a campaign message…hard. Legal wants to box you in to minimize risk. IT thinks your plan is a security threat. HR is worried about employee productivity. And you’re in charge of navigating this minefield.

Your job as social media director isn’t just to update Facebook and Twitter. You also have to teach. A lot. You’ll need to know when to stand firm, and when to compromise. Managing competing directives and diverse personalities will be you’re biggest challenge by far.

Business Sense

Boss: “We’re getting crushed in the Hispanic market. Our market share is down 18% in three years. It’s costing us $3 million a year. Ideas?”

You: “We need to focus on engagement. Join the conversation. By being more authentic and participating in community, we can connect and share.”

Boss: “Who hired you? They’re fired. So are you.”

‘Nuff said.

Dedication

It will take longer to achieve goals than you anticipate, I guarantee it. Be patient. Celebrate mile-marker victories. Keep your vision always in sight, though.

Change takes time, team members come and go, and progress is never a straight line. If you don’t have a high tolerance for roadblocks, you may want to question whether you want a social media director gig.

Ambition

If you wanna sit at a desk and Tweet all day, forget it. Get off your duff! You have internal stakeholders to win over, IT heroes to befriend, a finance director to woo, employees to (re)train, memos to respond to, long meetings to sit through (and shorten), presentations to prepare, vendors to screen, job candidates to interview, travel arrangements to make, and progress reports to complete.

Still wanna get that Facebook update out? Better hustle!

Will a social media class will be worth your time and money? How do you evaluate a class you’re considering?

It’s hard to know which social media training seminars are worthwhile, but these questions might help guide you.

(P.S. I’m teaching an entry-level Facebook for Your Business class and Twitter for Your Business class in partnership with Your Community Connector. I’ll also have a one-day, intensive Social Media Bootcamp in May..details soon. Feel free to ask around about my credentials…I’m trouble, but I’m worth it.)

How to Tell if a Social Media Training Class is a Good Value

Content:

• Is it a “Social Media 101″ workshop? An advanced social media class?
• Does the class focus on social media theory or social media how-to?
• Does the class explore the social media tools/channels you’re interested in? (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogging, other tools)
• Will the presenter give specific and practical tips for using social media effectively?
• Will there be case studies? Are they relevant and explanatory? Do they showcase specific industries, tools, business size, etc?
• Will the sessions be business-focused? Personal-focused? A mix?

Presenters:

• What are the presenter(s)’ credentials?
• Do presenters “know their stuff” about social media?
• Do the affiliations and credentials offered have any relevance or value?
• Who vouches for the presenters? Do you trust/value those endorsements?
• Have presenters led successful social media programs or projects?
• Do presenters “eat their own dogfood” — that is, do they have their own blog, Twitter account, etc? How active are they in online communities?
• Do the presenters have expertise beyond social media? In marketing, PR, human relations, finance, or operations, for example?
• Are the presenters active members of Social Media Charlotte (or a similar organization in your town)?

Audience:

• Who will be attending the event? Is the content tailored to the audience, or is it pre-packaged fluff?
• Is the event industry-specific? Does it serve businesses of a certain size?
• Is this for C-Level executives? Entrepreneurs? Mid-level directors and managers? Junior employees?
• Do attendees’ social media experience levels span a broad range? Or is it more specific — newbies, for example, or advanced learners?
• Do attendees want to use social media for personal activities? For work? Both?

Setting

• Is the event venue conducive to learning?
• Does it have free wi-fi or another suitable Internet connection?
• Does the venue have adequate A/V capabilities?
• Will the event include space/time for networking?
• Is there a #hashtag for the event?

Price:

• How much does the class cost? Free? $20? $200? $1000? $4995?
• Does the value of the [content] + [speakers] + [networking opportunities] measure up against the cost?
• Would a more expensive class be a better value? What about a lower-priced class?
• Will you have to attend multiple low-priced events to learn what you would learn in one mid-priced event?

Post-Event:

• Will there be a workbook, educational materials or other takeaways to continue your learning?
• Is there an online community for event attendees?
• What type of support will the event host/presenter offer after the event?
• Is there a “next step” class?

Is it possible to pull out of social media?

Put another way, can you put the genie back in the bottle after you’ve become a hyperconnect, smartphone-wielding update junkie?

Coffee Vendor A: Amy’s Story

Coffee Vendor A (let’s call her Amy) has a magnetic personality. Amy is a natural extrovert and lives for “the conversation.” She has a good product and she knows it. Amy sets up a Twitter account and begins to make connections. She follows people in her local market and begins to chat with them. She builds many new relationships.

Amy Tweets several times a day, responds to @mentions, and jumps into conversations, even if they’re not about coffee. She attracts a sizeable Twitter following and is widely known as “The Coffee Lady” on Twitter.

Coffee Vendor B: Jill’s Story

Coffee Vendor B (let’s call her Jill) isn’t a natural extrovert, but she’s trying to be more social. She created a Twitter account to meet others, listen to what her community cares about, and find opportunities to help others. Jill discovers there’s lots of buzz about coffee – people love the stuff, but they’re not true connoisseurs.

She decides to create content that educates and entertains coffee lovers: Video of a Best Barista competition, customer video notes about their favorite coffees, and a “Finding the Perfect Coffee to Suit Your Mood” PDF. Jill even gives a funny monologue about coffee at a local restaurateurs meeting. Without making a single sales pitch, she attracts new audiences to her store.

The Lesson: Content is the “Plus” that Stirs the Drink

Amy and Jill both made smart moves to grow their brand awareness. By engaging in “conversation marketing,” they created new touchpoints with new audiences and strengthened ties with existing customers.

Jill took it over the top. Her addition of “content marketing” gave her audience something to converse about. She recognized her audience’s love for coffee and fueled that passion. Compare this with Amy, who focused on social conversation (chit chat, if you will) and hoped her personality would attract business.

Jill’s content moved coffee consumers down a path to coffee aficionados, and likely converted them into evangelists for her coffee shop. It also gave coffee newbies a safe, fun way to learn about coffee.

Amy’s and Jill’s stories show us relationships and conversation are only part of the social media picture. They’re important, but can only sustain themselves alone for a short time. A customer relationship without substance dissolves or lapses. Content, like a good cup of coffee, keeps ‘em coming back.

One takeaway stood out: Charlotte’s B2B marketers are hungry to learn more about social media.

Here are several B2B social media resources to sate that hunger. It’s far from an exhaustive list, but it’s a start.

B2B Social Media Case Studies

• Interview with Aneta Hall of Pitney Bowes
• Interview with Kyle Flaherty of BreakingPoint
• Interview with Scott Townsend of United Linen
• Slideshare presentation on Intuit Small Business

B2B Social Media Success Metrics

A 2009 Business.com study asked B2B companies how they evaluate their social media efforts. Here are their top success metrics:

Winners of the 2009 Forrester Groundswell Awards (B2B Division)

Complete list of winners and finalists

• B2B Listening – CDW Advisory Board/Communispace
• B2B Talking – The Conversation/Eloqua
• B2B Energizing – UNLEASH 2009, The Mediasite User Conference/Sonic Foundry
• B2B Spreading – MetricStream Community/Regalix
• B2B Supporting – commonground Global Community for Environmental Professionals/EDR
• B2B Embracing – The Archer E-GRC Ecosystem/Archer Technologies

B2B Facebook Pages

• Salesforce
• CDW
• Cintas
• Cisco

B2B Resources on Twitter

• @B2BOnlineMktg
• @B2BTOTY
• @SMB2B
• B2B Twitterer of the Year

Social Media Policies and Guidelines

• Online Database of Social Media Policies
• How to Create a Corporate Social Media Policy

Other B2B Social Media Resources

• So You Don’t Think Twitter is for B2B?
• Hey B2B Marketers: It’s Okay to Have Fun!
• How to Make Social Media Work for Non-Consumer Brands
• B2B Buyers Have Very High Social Media Participation
• What If Your B2B Corporate Website Were a Social Network
• Social Media Will Force B2B Integrated Marketing
• Reality Check for B2B Leaders
• 9 Objections to Social Media…And How to Overcome Them
• Roadmap for Social Media in a Regulated Industry
• Social Networking Sites as a Personal CRM
• How a 40,000+ Employee Company Trains Its Employees on Social Media
• Study: How B2Bs Are Using Social Media
• 5 Ways to Expand B2B Blogging Beyond the Marketing Staff
• Key Trends in B2B E-Commerce (presentation, with audio)
• Key Trends in B2B E-Commerce (recap)

Social Media News Release

• Example of a B2B Social Media Release on Pitch Engine

Create a Marketing Calendar

Remember “Failure to plan is planning to fail?” Yep, still true. Bust out a calendar. Map out a marketing schedule. Paste it over your spouse’s photo. Hold yourself accountable.

Think thoroughly: Who will create the marketing pieces? What deadlines will I face? How much lead time is needed? What information/materials do I need to gather? Keep these question in mind as you flesh out your calendar.

Segment Your Audience

Marketing to an audience that’s too broad is suicide. Be targeted! Subdivide into smaller niches and craft a specific message for each. Consider age, gender, geography, business size (for B2B), industry, position/rank, etc. Or use a survey or sign-up form to create lists built around commonalities.

Start Blogging

Not sure how to start? Follow these three simple steps: 1) Identify a problem that’s kicking your customer in the nuts. 2) Write 300 words illuminating a solution to the problem. 3) Repeat. Still stuck on the technology part? Contact me.

Whip Your Website Into Shape

You’ve had the same site since 2001…right? It’s time to update it. Get a more user-friendly design. Dump the jargon and self praise. Replace it with customer-centered words. Add content that solves customer problems.

Make Employees Social

Ask employees to share their expertise — be it knowledge, skill, or personality — via a blog, Twitter, a podcast, participating in a community, or teaching a class. Drag them kicking and screaming if you have to. Look at what Aaron Strout did to get Powered, Inc. employees to participate in conversations relevant to their industry (see, even social media employees struggle to emerge from hiding). “I’m shy” and “I don’t write well” are no longer valid excuses. Fear kills companies. Give employees the freedom, safety and tools to overcome fear. That’s leadership.

Organize an Event

Skip the Chamber of Commerce meeting…fishing is inefficient. Instead, create a killer draw — an “I don’t wanna miss this” event. Let the fish come to you. Don’t make it a selling-fest…make it about connecting people to each other, creating a community. Check out these 13 event planning tools.

Hire a Sniper

Maybe you laid off your Marketing Director. Maybe you are your Marketing Director. Maybe you don’t need 40 hours per week of marketing help. Consider an independent PR or marketing consultant. From “big picture” strategy and execution to laser-focused tactical specialists, you have options. In Charlotte, folks like Harry Hoover, Corey Creed, Nathan Richie, Donna Maria Coles Johnson, and Brandon Uttley do good work within their niches. I’m impressed with up-and-comers like Becca Bernstein and Dani Burns, too.

To borrow from physics, if conversations are the motion (kinetics) of social media, content is surely the “stuff” in motion — the substance that propels conversation.

As a business owner, you can create this substance. It’s called content marketing, and it’s a smart, effective strategy, especially when paired with social media.

What Is Content Marketing, Exactly?

Content marketing is simply the creation and sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential customers in conversation. Content can take any form — text, photo, video, audio, etc. — and can be distributed via any channel you choose. You can create content yourself of distribute someone else’s content (with appropriate attribution, of course).

The trick is knowing how to create content that is relevant and valuable to your audience while also achieving a marketing goal. You won’t be able to increase sales or brand awareness by pumping out drivel your audience doesn’t care about.

So what is relevant? What is valuable? Content should cater to your audience’s primal needs. Here are examples:

• Simplify something complicated
• Demonstrate how to do something
• Answer a perplexing question
• Entertain
• Provide VIP information
• Fix a problem

There’s Always a Catch…

Here’s the catch: Don’t make it about you. Resist the urge. Squish. Think like your customer…heck, pretend your own company doesn’t exist. Then, create.

Sound illogical? It is. Until you realize this isn’t direct selling. This is building trust, inch by inch. This is becoming invaluable. Do that and you won’t have to advertise as much — your customer will come to you.

And she’ll use social media to share your killer content with her friends.

P.S. It doesn’t hurt to have a good list to distribute your content to. Sure, your Twitter and Facebook followers are a start…what other lists can you use?

To summarize, Foursquare users “check in” when they visit locations around town. Points are awarded for various activities — checking in, making multiple stops in a day, adding a new venue, making a repeat visit, or checking in on consecutive days. The points have no value (yet), badges (mostly frivolous) are awarded for achieving certain goals (also mostly frivolous), and “Mayorships” are awarded to the most frequent visitor at any location.

It’s a game, an experiment, and mostly silly fun at this point. But that will change. Here are some ways Foursquare could emerge as a meaningful marketing channel:

Location-Based Offers

Imagine checking in at Starbucks and receiving an offer for a free coffee with purchase of a scone, or a coupon for 10% off at the neighboring bookstore. As a marketer, Foursquare could let you hyper-target your message to consumers at the precise moment they’re in your proximity.

Behavior-Based Offers

If you check in five times a week at McHooligan’s Neighborhood Pub, you provide valuable behavioral data to marketers. Expect a message (Promotion? Thank you note?) from Mr. McHooligan, and maybe an ad from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Shareable Promotions

This isn’t just mobile media — it’s social media, too. Foursquare could offer advertisers the option of letting you share a promotion with your friends. Think of it as a reward you can pass along, making your friends love you even more.

Loyalty Rewards

It’s nice to imagine all customers are equal. They’re not. Not to marketers, anyway. The customer who checks in from my place of business (and presumably spends money) most will be rewarded with better offers. Being Mayor has its perks.

Influence-Based Perks

Remember when the FTC imposed disclosure regulations on bloggers? Wait ’til they get their hands on Foursquare. Companies already want to give prominent bloggers and Twitterers perks in hopes of generating cheap, powerful publicity. It’ll happen on Foursquare, too. Let’s be honest: Somebody will check in daily from some location in exchange for gifts or cash, and those with the largest Foursquare networks will be the first targets for marketers.

Checklist-Based Marketing

Foursquare also lets you create “To-Do” lists, so it’s conceivable that a business could create a series of tasks for players to complete. Their could be rewards (coupons, upgrades, etc.) based on completion of certain tasks.

These are just a few ideas. There are plenty of ways businesses can benefit from mobile social networks. Check out Jason Keath’s post Foursquare Goes to College to see how UNC Charlotte is using Foursquare.

Where do you see this sort of geo-based social network heading? How would you use Foursquare with your business?

When Twitter rolled out its Lists feature a month ago, I wasn’t excited: One more place to sort and categorize people, no added value. But when Tweetdeck (my Twitter client of choice) integrated Twitter Lists recently, that changed.

Tweetdeck Groups: A Helpful But Imperfect Filter

Until now, I’ve used Tweetdeck’s “Groups” feature as a filter. I have a column for Charlotte-area folks, one for “A-Listers” (I hate that term), a few industry-specific Groups, and several search columns.

But adding someone to a group required that I follow that person. As a result, my “Following” count kept climbing, and despite my filters, it got harder and harder to find, observe and join conversations relevant to me. It also meant more auto-DMs and Twitter spam.

Tweetdeck’s integration of Twitter Lists changes that. You can add someone to a Twitter List without following them. Their Tweets appear in the corresponding Tweetdeck column, so you’ll still see their conversations.

To Unfollow or Not to Unfollow?

Crass as it sounds, I’m unfollowing some people. Aaron Strout, whom I respect very much, uses a different strategy. There’s no right or wrong — use the strategy that fits you. My own strategy continues to change, but I stick to a few core principles to decide who to follow on Twitter.

Here’s my Charlotte Twitter List, in case you’re curious.

I hope that by unfollowing some people, I’ll actually be able to listen to them better — indeed, listen to everyone better. It means I’ll need to filter more intelligently. It also means I’ll have to pay better attention to each stream…and make decisions about how to allocate a finite amount of time to each stream.

If I’m not following you — or if I’ve unfollowed you — don’t be afraid to @reply me. Help me get to know you! Intelligent conversation about what’s relevant to me (PR, media, publishing, marketing, journalism, politics, etc.) is the best way to engage me.

Feedback

How has your follow strategy evolved since Twitter rolled out Lists? If you’re a Tweetdeck user, has the integration of Twitter Lists changed your strategy at all? What’s more important to you — observing/joining a conversation that’s relevant to you, or following someone based on courtesy, acquaintance, locality, or another factor?

Will my new follow strategy work? Would it work for you? Do the new features from Twitter and Tweetdeck make it any easier to filter the information coming out of the firehose?

I’d love to hear your comments.

Two word clouds — one from CNN, one created by PR Professor Barbara Nixon using Wordle — show very different interpretations of the speech.

Here’s the word cloud Professor Nixon created using the full transcript of the president’s speech (click the image to see it larger):

Here’s the word cloud from CNN.com. The graphic links to video of post-speech commentary from their political team:

Notice any differences?

Granted, CNN doesn’t claim this word cloud is based on the complete transcript, nor that it’s a factual reporting of the speech. Still, it definitely borrows from the speech and serves as a selective interpretation.

What are your thoughts?