Okay, so you’re on board with Social Media, but others aren’t seeing it as a priority. What’s the best way to engage them and get them excited about what they can create using Social Media? There are several ways to do it. The least effective way to do it is to demand it. The trick is to find a person or a few people who are willing to learn and to explain how social media can be beneficial to them.
I have found that with my team it is an ongoing process and really getting everyone into the habit of using the new tool. It can’t be expected that everyone will just grab hold and run with it. If that is your expectation you will be disappointed. What you can do find ways to help your team make it a part of their process. Give them the tools to incorporate this Social Media into their workload.
Here are some great steps you can take:
- Education- The easiest way to get people excited about the possibilities of Social Media is through education. There are some great videos out there like the Social Media Revolution that can really get a group motivated to be a part of the Social Media movement just simply using statistics. In a way Social Media is a bit like the wild west right now. There is still time and room for people and companies to blaze their own trail. Get the creative juices flowing and help your team imagine all the possibilities. When you educate people about what exists already they may surprise you with a “Why not this?” idea that could be outstanding.
- Use the tools that are already available- Hootsuite, CoTweet and Tweetdeck are all easy-to-use tools that can help your team organize their Twitter activities.
- Communication- continuing the discussion about Social Media lets the team be a part of the solution for implementation. Everyone wants ownership of a successful program.
I have found that more people are willing to get on board as they become more comfortable with the idea of Social Media. This means education is a primary tool. Not all industries will have such a hill to climb, but other industries that are more conservative and have more traditional management in place may be slow to adopt Social Media strategies.
Continuing to educate while showing compelling facts can help get a company on board and by being an encouraging team member who is willing to teach and listen to new ideas you can help get the rest of the team on board. That seems to be working with my team. How have you accomplished the Social Media teamwork that is necessary for success in your business?
