I was so excited to have the opportunity to interview a true social lady, Carmen Shirkey Collins, on my podcast. She has been working on creating 1:1 relationships with customers since before "social media" was a term in the lexicon, and has since helped pioneer and transform social media programs for several Fortune 500 companies and large brands. Her passion for social media aside, she's also an award-winning writer with another book on the way. Below I've shared some of her great digestible tips with you.
Building a Social Media Following
- Be an active participant. Part of Carmen's current role is helping recruiters understand how important it is to be present and active on social media, as well as how to grow a network. The secret to to doing this: Find people like you and have conversations you care about.
- Remember that it's more than just talking. Don't monopolize the conversations you have online. Ask people questions and encourage them to respond to you. Incorporate listening by using hashtags on Twitter to follow existing conversations.
- Share. If something interests you, don't be afraid to retweet, re-pin, or re-post. If you share the love, over time your followers will grow.
The Best Team Structure in Social Media
Carmen isn't certain that there's just one way that works best, but she does have a personal preference. For her, having a center of social media excellence is key to success, and you don't have to be a large company to take value from this. Here are four areas that any center of excellence should focus on:
- Speaking the same language. This is so important in aligning priorities such as what to measure.
- Implementing best practices. Period.
- Branding. Online branding is just as important as more traditional branding and should be approached with precedence and consistency
- Governance. Knowing how to swiftly and appropriately manage a crises can be the making (or breaking) of a brand.
If you're a smaller company, keeping your social media knowledge up to date and adopting some of these tactics will be the key to your success.
Advice for a Career in Social Media
"Be social!" That's Carmen's first piece of advice. If you're going for a job in social media, it's so important that you can prove you know the space. But remember to keep it professional; sharing details of an argument with a friend might not be the best move. Above all, try to find a mentor. Carmen loves to mentor and share her knowledge. Having a strong, professional presence is important for anyone, not just in social media. You don't have to be a thought-leader in your industry per se, but you do need to be able to show that you know what you are talking about. This is exactly what Carmen tells her students and interns. The bottom line: Make people want to hire you.
My key takeaway from Carmen's interview: Be present, demonstrate your commitment to social media, and allow your passion to shine through.
How do you build your social media following? What are your tips for a career in social media? Share your comments in the section below!
