If you want to be the social media hero at your office, start by listening for those first few weeks. “Listening”? What the heck do I mean by “listening”? I mean just look up people in your area, in your industry, in your company and competitor companies and see what they’re saying. Do some searches about your product or service, the communities where you have offices or stores, the vendors that visit your locations. Find some blogs that interest you and some that are good business resources for you. Listen to the tone people use when talking to each other; get a feel for the culture of social networking.
And then… jump in. Talk to people. Answer some questions. Join in on a chat. Ask some questions about how to do what you’re trying to do. If you’re new to Twitter, ask Twitter users for some tips. Join a LinkedIn group and introduce yourself to other members. Get into the flow.
Don’t walk up to people (virtually speaking) and hawk your wares; door-to-door sales went out with double-knit suits. But just talk to people. Spend some time – that could mean weeks or months – building relationships and building a community. Networking. You didn’t know everyone at your first Chamber meeting either, but you put out your hand and said, “Hi, I’m ___. How are you?” Do that.
