We have been receiving so many inquiries about social media that I have decided to create a frequently asked questions document. In sorting through many e-mails, chat logs, conversations, and the social media space itself… I began wandering across a variety of amazing answers to these very problems. So in the culture and mindset of social media, I am turning 95% of the answers over to other experts.

One of my favorite niche experts in this space is Jeremiah Owyang, a senior analyst from Forrester Research. His experience and viewpoint in the industry is well-seasoned with a variety of different projects and has a wealth of data to draw on from Forrester. He had also started writing a FAQ category on his blog as well, so without further delay here are the last six frequently asked questions he has taken the time to answer in detail.

• Who owns the social media program?
• How Do I Talk to my Executive about Social Media?
• How Do I Launch my Social Media Program?
• How Do I Measure ROI?
• What Does it mean to be Authentic, Transparent, or Human?
• What do I do if they leave negative comments on my site/blog/forum?

His Basic Descriptions:

• Who owns the social media program? I’ve noticed a trend of questions lately, where during the Q&A session someone will ask “Who owns the social media program?”. I get variations on the theme that include “Who should updated Wikipedia?” or “Who should respond to bloggers” or “Who should respond to twitter?”. Read More…
• How Do I Talk to my Executive about Social Media? Your job: To convince your peers, stakeholders and executives that don’t use social media (or don’t believe in) on why social media may be important to your business. Read More…
• How Do I Launch my Social Media Program? Most companies are used to announcing products or initiatives using press releases, advertising, media influence, and even analyst influence. While many companies are toe dipping in the social media waters (The majority still have not, I’ve seen some adoption data from work) so there’s still many questions on what to do once you launch your blog, community site, podcast, etc. Read More…
• How Do I Measure ROI? While we often sing the goodness of social media tools, (and challenges) a web strategist will have to return to the workplace, and demonstrate to their management the value of any program –especially if it’s new. Read More…
• What Does it mean to be Authentic, Transparent, or Human? First, understand the fear of most companies ‘hide’ behind their brand. This means that the collective of all employee contributions are often behind the shield, crest, or banner of a symbol. This is nothing new and goes back to the most primitive of cultures where bands and fiefdoms would form –in nearly every culture. Things are different now, the internet allows for real people to connect with other real people and have discussions about anything that interests them –void of any shield, crest, or banner. Read More…
• What do I do if they leave negative comments on my site/blog/forum? Well the truth of the matter is, they are going to leave negative comments about your company elsewhere on the web, there’s no way you’ll ever be able to stop this. If you delete or remove the comments from your own corporate websites, it will probably escalate in a ‘louder’ location in blogs and other forums, so don’t do that. The savvy strategist will realize that by bringing the problems and issues closer to home, you’ll actually have a few advantages. Read More…

What other Frequently Asked Questions would you like us to take a shot at? Please take a moment to add some commentary and questions below or e-mail them privately to me - barry@123socialmedia.com and we will take a crack at answering them “once and for all”

Do you ever just have that feeling that everything in your mind is blank? One of the most crucial elements of successful blogging is consistent writing over time. If more than a few days go by without some up to date writing, readers will slowly and surely stop checking your blog. continue

There is no cardinal rule of how to blog or write for social media. Blogging is about providing your ideas and information in an easy to interpret manner, with the goal of opening a new line of communication. With no specific rules, there are key elements that many successful bloggers pay attention to. continue