In my last post, I mentioned the results of a Social Media Tracker report from Universal McCann.
There were two figures that really caught my attention. The report indicated that 73% of those surveyed read blogs and 39% have started blogs.
More than half of all people who’ve read a blog, have created a blog?
What I want to know is how many blogs are actively maintained as opposed to started and shelved? I’m sure the number of neglected blogs is pretty high, which is why it’s essential that you develop an action plan for your social media strategy – one that’s created and followed.
I’ve been to hundreds of websites with outdated information or no media releases posted in more than a year. These companies birthed the websites, but didn’t continue to feed and nurture them. The same can be said for a company blog, and Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts if they are not continuously updated.
It’s easy to launch a website and move on to a blog. Once the blog’s launched you move on to creating a Twitter account. What’s more difficult is to continue to support the website and blog while adding new toys.
To do that, you have to plan how you’re going to get there and how you’re going to support your social media initiatives. I’ve been down that path before. It’s a full-time job for someone to create, and then fully support and analyze, a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
It’s already started, but in the months to come, more companies will create social media positions in their communications and marketing departments. Some will build programs from the ground up, while others sift through the ashes of poorly executed plans that fell by the wayside.
The secret to success is having an established and agreed upon plan. And a plan is what every business desperately needs.
Posted on
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
by Sean Taylor Simpson
filed under