Could You Be A Corporate Social Media Director?

Do you think you have what it takes to be a social media director for your organization? Here is a test that was emailed to me a few months ago that I parked for later use. A variety of skill sets are required because there are so many tasks involved. You can’t fail the test, but you could discover where you need some help.

These skill sets are required whether your organization includes just you and your computer or it includes thousands of employees spread over several continents. Whether you’re committing a couple hours a week, or you’re company is hiring an executive level social networking czar, certain activities are needed to pull off this endeavor.

Starting Line
1. Are you willing to dedicate a certain percentage of your time to the social networking effort?
2. Are you passionate about social media and capable of sharing an energetic, professional point of view to your team and to the public?
3. Can you own the responsibility for the success of the organization’s social media plan?
4. Can you conduct discovery of the internal culture, overall marketing plans and the organization’s business strategy?
5. Can you identify clearly identified social networking goals?
6. Can you rally the organization’s resources where required to help you fulfill the social networking plan?
7. Are you capable of articulating a social media strategy that has actionable, measurable goals?

Toe The Line
1. Can you maintain blog duties on a daily basis? This means writing, publishing, promoting, gaining approvals both accurately and swiftly.
2. Can you identify the on line or enterprise software tools required to monitor your organization’s social networking metrics. Can you monitor and update your organization’s content on the major social media sites? Can you tie this data into a measure of success against your defined goals?
3. Do you have a public relations or marketing degree or equivalent experience?
4. Are you an excellent communicator orally and in writing?
5. Do you have experience with other successful on line community building?
6. Do you have website experience? Are you versed in search engine optimization?
7. Do you have leadership skills?
8. Do you have the stamina to patiently shepherd your organization through the social media maze over a sustained period of time?
9. Do you have an in depth knowledge of the currently available social media tools and adapt your strategy to use them to their best benefit?
10. Are you aware of which tools are most predominant within your target demographic?
11. Do you have a strong familiarity with Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, Nings, YouTube and other startup SM sites?

Go
1. Can you oversee the organization’s use of social networking tools?
2. Can you provide guidance to your team members on social media best practices? Do you stay current on available social media tools?
3. Can you define the rules of engagement within social media?
4. Do you have a plan to provide consistent messaging and brand protection for those on your team engaging in social communities?
5. Do you have relationships with industry expert bloggers?
6. Do you have a plan for developing more sophisticated videos, applications, photographs and other digital multimedia presentations?
7. Are you a creative thinker who can develop interactive, intriguing and interesting ideas with the potential for viral sharing?

Test Scoring: 25 Correct: You’re ready!24 or less Correct: Might want to get a coach or a little more training!

Larson Note: This is only the start of what is happening as companies try to get a handle on Social Media for business exposure and expansion. I’m sure you can add additional requirements. We can all question whether all or which of these skills are really required to be called to have SM “expert status”, yet I think we can agree that there are some very unique skills required. You need an understanding of marketing issues and tacticts as well as technology tools. You need to immerse yourself in the social media world out there, getting current and staying current. A patient, creative mind is required. Most important you have to don the mantle of social networking champion. Can you, could you, will you go down this new marketing field?

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson

https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate

P.S. Want more Larson? Register to receive our monthly newsletter at larsonassoc1980@yahoo.com.

P.P.S. We are offering 2 free ½ hour consultations for marketing your business. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.