Social Media - One of the three ways to make it successful for your district: make it a team effort

On January 14, 2010, Mashable: The Social Media Guide posted an article titled, "3 Things You Need to Know About Social Media Strategy," by B.L. Ochman.

The three things you need to know are:

1. Everyone must work together.
2. Top management must be on board.
3. Don't expect overnight success.

While it was great to see the idea of social media being a team effort reinforced, what really stuck out about this article is the recognition that organizational leaders need to support social media in order for it to be successful.

Ochman wrote:

"Listening and responding to what customers are saying about the brand in social media can supply good intelligence and give the company a chance to interact with customers. 'Our management doesn’t want to listen to customers,' the PR director said. 'They want to talk to them.'

However, that doesn’t work anymore. The status quo is dead. Any company that isn’t willing to listen to customers and be nimble and quick enough to respond, and, when necessary, change, will soon be unable to compete with smart, tech-savvy companies that can turn on a dime.

Willingness to change is the new bottom line for every business today. But top management has to buy in before change can begin."

This is true for school districts as well. The school board and superintendent need to support social media efforts. Because social media allows for a two-way dialogue with the community, leadership needs to be responsive to situations and/or growing sentiments within the community.

In addition, while most social media tools are free to use, there is a cost in resources to keep your presence sustained and your interaction real and timely.

Finally, the article makes a great point about social media being a long-term commitment.

Ochman writes:

"Realizing that employing social media in the marketing mix is a long-term commitment to change, the best way to start is to pick manageable, measurable goals."

Register your district's team for WSPRA's February Social Media Workshop and define your social media strategy.