A read a blog post awhile back titled You’re Doing It Wrong. If you have ever heard me speak on stage or in person, I almost always talk about this concept. It was a real ‘ah-ha’ moment back in 2009, when I first read it.

For me, it is as obvious online, as it is in real life that you can’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides. It just doesn’t work. SO if your goals aren’t the same as my goals, than I am probably doing Social Media wrong to you, right?

Here are my original goals
-Become a Music/Broadcasting Industry Social Media Expert
-Make more personal connections
-Write a book
-Get 10,000 followers (this number just seemed cool-don’t remember why)
-Blog at least 5 times a week
-Make certain amount of money
-Be of service to others
-Give back to the Music/Radio community
-Write for ALLACCESS

I have achieved my goals AND THEN SOME (even unexpected dreams coming true…. more on that next Tuesday)
If you notice, I never set up to sell anything, you could consider the book a Sales item, but that was just something I wanted to do.
You may think I tweet too much or post too much, not enough, follow too many people, don’t like my blog, or the colors I use, the color of my hair, the way I write, the name of my company or just think that I am plain silly…but I am meeting my goals and absolutely benefiting in a way that makes sense for me and my company objectives.
-
If you are a  Broadcast or Music industry professional, or anyone for that matter,  you want to set goals and decide what you want Social Media to do for you. Are you trying to brand, get more listeners/fans, interact with current listeners/fans, build relationships, drive traffic to a website, sales, use for communicating?
When you decide what you are trying to do you can figure out who you are going to do it to (reach) and how you will do it (socialality)…..translation: strategy!
-
Determine Social Media platforms work best for your goals.
-
Twitter is amazing at driving traffic to a blog or even a Facebook fan page, but you will have to get followers. How will you do that? Well, for one, you can follow people you think are interesting and then try to be interesting. You can also try following the followers of other local media outlets, musicians like yourself, especially your competition or label mates if you have any.
-
What content will you post to attract followers?
-
Will it entertain, inform, give a benefit to users, build relationships through personal contact? Some audiences are very comfortable reading blogs but not using Facebook or Linkedin, others might like the convenience of microblogging site Twitter. The million dollar question is how can you help people have a relationship with your brand through blogs, texts, messages, posts etc?
I have worked with hundreds or artists, TV/Radio Stations, brands and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to determining goals that i have ever found. In addition, it has always been clear to me, even when selling Traditional Media that if you determine goals you manage your own expectations.
-
There are even great basic FREE analytical programs for Twitter, Facebook and websites. You can find out your ranking in a geographic area. Ranking based on the hashtags you chose.  Just to get started and test the water, you can use sites like Google Analytics,  Hashtracking, WeFollow, TwitterCounter, PeerIndex, SocialMention and Facebook has incredible insights on their fan pages!
-
SO, as long as you are doing it right for YOU and staying in your own lane, don’t pay attention to the tailgaters, drafters and lane weavers. Keep on RUNNING YOUR OWN RACE!
-
What kind of car are you driving down the Social Media Road?

 


Related Posts
Tweet Naked
The Digital Daypart: Using Social Media to Win in Broadcasting
It Can Hurt Being Real: What I Learned From The Velveteen Rabbit
Run Your Own Race
Square Peg in Round Hole Social Media
Social MEdia…Who Are You When Everyone’s Looking?