The first mistake most people make in social media is failing to commit to social media or to a community.
People start blogging for about six weeks and then get bored.
There should be an understanding that everyone is committed to being part of the online community that is selected.
Another good thing to realize is that we use technology and technology does not use us.
One does not have to use Twitter like discussed above and there is no reason to jump in and do everything at once.
It is best to start with listening.
What are people saying about you? What conversations can you be a part of? What types of proactive reach can you do and what do you need to be reactive to? For you and for your company, be sure to choose how to use the technology.
It is important to remember that social media is not a cure-all remedy.
Do not think that just because you start a blog or get on Twitter for customer service that the problems of a company will be fixed like magic.
Online conversations reveal a lot about a company's DNA.
In the old days, more social networking was used than any of this technology social media.
Now things are digital and searchable and information is much easier to find.
A blog will not just fix a company.
If a commitment is made to become part of an online community and conversations, commit to taking the feedback to the company and ask what we can do to change and actually make the company changes.
Determine what the customers want and figure out a way to get back to the company mission and values.
Benchmark your social media efforts and see if they are creating any return on investment on organic search engines through relevant content and information.
Use a trend graph when trying to benchmark your social media and internet strategy efforts.
A trend graph provides information at a glance through graphing out ups, downs, horizontal (stall growths) to provide metrics of valuable information needed in the study being performed.