The BrandForward Blog

Social media is probably one of the most profound hiring tools we’ve ever seen. Gone are the days of basing decisions on fancy formulas, over-weighted college pedigrees, jumping at name-drops or affiliations, and (gasp!) eliminating candidates based on resume keywords.

That’s old school. That’s rote. That’s fail.

Today, savvy managers and recruiters are moving away from the formulaic methods of old, and are instead developing their social media evaluative skills, flexing their online intuition, and immersing themselves in social media to get an understanding of their candidates on a deeper level.

Recruiters, managers, and job seekers should be very excited by this. Social media is providing the opportunity to use more creative thinking and less box checking. It’s no longer who looks best on paper, who fits the pre-determined molds, and who can ace an interview. It’s now about assembling a picture of a whole person and being able to more qualitatively judge whether they’re a genuine fit for the company and can ace the actual position.

And what better way to do this than by getting a glimpse into their life, their personality, and their interests without the self-censoring that happens on a resume or in an interview.

To make the most of social media as a hiring tool, recruiters and hiring managers need to be even more savvy in social media than the people they’re looking to hire. Which means it’s time to dig in and get connected.

Tips for Leveraging Social Media in the Hiring Process

Tips for Recruiters & Managers:

1. Get a Head Start in Analyzing Social Media Footprints.

Not every job seeker is engaged in social media yet. Well, at least beyond Facebook. That means a significant percentage of candidates probably won’t have a strong social media footprint, and this gives HR personnel a head start in understanding the landscape. Take this time to get up to speed. You’ll eventually start to pick up on the realities that exist outside the Facebook bubble. As more candidates become active on a broader scale you’re already immersed and ready to evaluate with confidence.

2. Develop an HR Presence Yesterday.

Start to build your company’s HR presence in social media in the same way the marketing department currently does. Work with the marketing team to develop strategic, accurately-branded company HR accounts for all the relevant social media networks, and start engaging in two-way conversation.

3. Connect With Future Employees.

Start conversing and generously share information. Be an ambassador. Open the lines of communication. Answer questions and help candidates prepare for interviews. Don’t look at it like you’re doing their homework for them… realize that by engaging prospects before they put their game face on, you’re getting the opportunity to get a feel for their true personality and professionalism.

4. Eliminate Assessment Obstacles.

Use social media to eliminate the “glowing interview” syndrome, where a stellar interviewee turns into a lackluster employee. Not every potentially great team member will be able to shine in an interview. By exploring a candidate’s footprint in social media, you can better assess their real knowledge level, their experience in the field, and their enthusiasm. An interview environment is great for candidates with the gift of gab, but not everyone has that talent. Social media allows you to see what a candidate has to offer beyond their ability to sell themselves.

5. Dig for Dream Candidates.

Actively seek potential candidates online who are talking about your company, posting links to stories about your company, or responding to company and employee blogs. These are the people who are engaged, interested, and invested in what your company has to offer and may just want to be a part of it. Do deeper homework and use greater insight to discover the diamonds in the rough, the up-and-comers, and the great candidates that fall under the radar. This is also a win for recruiters who would rather come to the table with a candidate who has a genuine interest in the company and has been engaging with it, as opposed to a generic “Hey, I found you guys a rock star.”

Tips for Job Seekers:

As recruiters and managers get more engaged in social media, it’s of critical importance that everyone develops a social media footprint that represents their skill, energy, and professionalism. Even if you’re currently engaged in social networks, this is the time to bring your identities together and develop a strategic personal brand. It’s not good enough to just have a presence. It needs to be consistent and cohesive.

1. Invest Time and Energy Into Your Personal Brand.

Okay, you’ve heard this before. But have you given a critical eye to your personal brand? Step away from the Twitter for a minute and invest in some evaluation time. When you Google yourself, think about the search results from the perspective of someone who’s in a position to hire you. Is it clear who you are? Are your accomplishments easy to locate? Can you be found on social networks? Is your first page of results primarily leading to your links? This is the time to join key social networks you may have missed, update your information, and build on the “body of work” (eg. tweets, blog comments, posts) that represents your personality and your abilities.

2. Take Ownership of Your Identity.

Let’s say your name isn’t original and no fewer than 120 other people who are active in social media are also going by “Janey Smith.” This is a problem for building a brand because you won’t stand out as easily, and hiring managers or recruiters won’t be able to distinguish between you and all the other people with your name. (And what if some of them are in the same industry?)

If you were the early adopter Janey Smith, you’re in luck. You probably own janeysmith.com, the Facebook vanity URL, and the handle on most social networks. But what about the other 119 Janey Smiths? Easy. If you can’t own your basic name on at least the .com domain and the top social media sites, use a variation. ON EVERY SITE. Don’t just take Janey Smith when you can occasionally get it. Be consistent everywhere. If you’re a woman, you could combine your maiden and married last names (Janey Zucker Smith = janeyzuckersmith) or add your middle or first initial to your name.

Again, keep it 100% consistent on every network:

Facebook Name: “R. Janey Smith”
Facebook Vanity URL: rjaneysmith
Twitter Handle: rjaneysmith
YouTube: rjaneysmith
Linkedin Vanity URL: rjaneysmith

Don’t deviate! When you sign off emails. When you submit a resume. When you sign blog comments. In your bio. When you author an e-book. On proposals and RFPs. Anything. Make sure it’s clear exactly who you are. You are no longer Janey Smith, you are R. Janey Smith. Include your name or appropriate handle at the end of your correspondence, especially with recruiters or company contacts. If you’re consistent, it will make it easier for your social media footprint to be found and not confused with someone else.

Also, even if you don’t think you would ever use certain popular sites under your real name, GO GET YOUR VANITY HANDLE! Even if you think you want to keep your identity private. GO GET YOUR VANITY HANDLE! I’ve learned my own lesson on this one when I recently came across an indiscreet user with my name who apparently spends a lot of time posting on WebMD about her pregnancy and sex life. Yikes! I was careful to manage the Michelle Tripp brand early on, but ignored sites where you wouldn’t expect people to use their real names. (Seriously, medical issues?) So decide on your unique name and secure the handle and URL on every site you can find. Even if you never plan to use most of them. At least your brand is protected. And you won’t be cringing when “Janey Smith” tells the world how often she’s having sex in her second trimester.

In case you’re able to get your unique handle on almost every network, but there are a few secondary ones where someone already has it, add an extension at the end. But do this only in an emergency when you have every other network secured. When YouTube first came out, I was still keeping my online identity private and signed up using my standard confidential handle. (Back then, most of us were still worried about privacy and “stalkers”). At the time it didn’t occur to me to secure my name anyway, so at the advent of social media I had to create an account on YouTube under “michelletripptv” because someone else had registered “michelletripp” before I did. It’s not ideal but it’s a workable option when you’ve been able to secure your preferred name on most other networks.

When choosing your unique name and securing handles and URLs, I don’t suggest the “janeysmith1″ or jnysmith” alternatives. Unless you plan to put “Janey Smith 1″ or “Jny Smith” at the top of every resume, that’s not your brand and it’s not helping you build your social media footprint. Stick with letters. Be consistent. Yes, it’s hard to give up being known as the one and only Janey Smith in the entire Milky Way galaxy, but for social media and personal branding purposes, it’s just not practical. And certainly not helpful to recruiters or anyone who might want to investigate your experience and hire you.

3. Connect With Your Dream Companies.

Savvy HR pros are engaging curious candidates before they ever apply. If you’re interested in a company, start connecting with them now. Even if you’re currently employed, be true to your interests and join the networks of your favorite brands and start having conversations. Comment on blog posts, join in the tweet loop, become a Facebook fan, and get involved. Even if you don’t plan to leave your current job for a long time, spread your wings and connect with companies that matter to you.

Discretion and professional ethics will obviously be required when connecting with a competing company in a highly-competitive industry, but most bosses won’t assume you’re sharing state secrets or have one foot out the door as long as you spread your connections among multiple companies and industries, and if you keep public conversations light. For example, if you’re an Art Director and you’re starting to heavily tweet with or comment on Creative Directors of other agencies, your own Creative Director can’t help but wonder how long before you fly the coop. Yes, connect with your dream companies but don’t become a “public fixture” with them unless you’re ready for a hop.

4. Build Genuine Two-Way Relationships.

You’ve heard it a million times. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. An old cliché but more true now than ever. Almost any company you could want to work for has current employees who are active in social media. Even if they’re not officially representing the company, they’re still excellent contacts. These are the people who know what’s going on and who’s hiring.

Whoa there, coyote! Don’t run straight for the chicken coop. Be a good social media citizen and seek out people you sincerely connect with, don’t fake it. Be genuine, be honest, look for ways to help your contacts, and let them help you. Be authentic and build friendships across the board, not just with the guy who can assist you in the moment. It’s a fact, people love to help each other. Earn it by being someone worth helping. And always give back more than you get.

Like this post? There’s more! In Social Media Footprint is the New Resume: Part II we’ll explore additional ways job seekers can successfully build their social media footprint “resume” and use innovative strategies and techniques to stand out and build a personal brand.

If you’d like to tweet this post, here’s a trimmed link you can copy and paste: http://tr.im/smfootprint

In the spirit of Halloween, let’s turn our attention away from the happy, bubbly things of Summer and focus now on one of the most ominous figures ever conjured.

The Grim Reaper? Nope.

Freddy Krueger? Nuh, uh.

Al Sharpton? (Surprisingly, no.)

Good guesses, all. But the evil of which I speak is a much more commonplace entity. But whose scary, intimidating presence is wholly undesirable all the same. Today, we shall shield our eyes and protect small children from:

(cue creepy organ music)

The Gatekeeper.

The person who controls access to the things you desire most.

Money, jobs, audience, advancement, influence, information.

We’re talking about the human resources manager who decides if your resume gets on the desk of the person who could actually hire you, or a one-way express ticket to the round file. The newspaper editor who decides if your prose is one of the few to be published. The receptionist at the doctor’s office who decides if your gaping head wound warrants a race to the emergency room.

The co-op board. The bouncer. The book publisher. The soup nazi.

There’s no surprise that the concept of a gatekeeper sends cold chills down lots of spines. The gatekeeper subjectively decides your value, your worth, and whether your contribution or presence is wanted or unwanted.

Ouch.

And to make matters worse, gatekeeper decisions are based on their own personal preferences, preconceived notions, time constraints, and political objectives. Or how long they were stuck in traffic. And by the very nature of their position they don’t have to explain any of it. Not a lick. Standing guard at the gate, they hold the keys to everything you want.

They wield. The ax.

Scary, huh?

Maybe Target has a viable candidate for replacing those illegal alien costumes.

Hmmm. But wait. Things actually aren’t looking so good for the gatekeeper these days.

Thanks to internet search and social media.

Gatekeepers act as a funnel, restricting the flow of information and access. That’s because all the things you want were typically hidden and protected behind a big, rusty gate. There was too much of you, and too little of what (or who) you wanted. But in the new world, our path to getting those things has evolved.

The whole purpose of internet search and social media is to provide unfettered access to people and information. If everyone still wanted gatekeepers and believed that restricted access was a good thing, or if we wanted to be spoon-fed information and opinions through a funnel, Google search wouldn’t be eclipsing newspapers, Microsoft wouldn’t have bothered to pour millions into Bing, blogs wouldn’t have any readers, and YouTube wouldn’t be taking over television.

I agree with Edward Boches in his recent gatekeeper post that many gatekeepers, such as newspaper and magazine editors, have earned the right to pass judgment through years of experience in their field. They have and they do. But let’s face it, there’s only one New York Times. And one Boston Globe. And one Wall Street Journal. And only one person at a time who holds the esteemed titles of publisher or editor at any given time. But there are probably thousands of people with equally valid knowledge and experience. I want to hear from them, too. And if it wasn’t for internet search and social media, their valuable knowledge and perspectives would be largely hidden.

Gatekeeped into anonymity.

Before the ubiquity of social media, the powers that be decided what got through and what didn’t. They had the exposure, and also the power to expose. Information didn’t get broadcast or printed, unless as the gatekeeper, they approved it.

Let’s face it. That’s a ton of centralized power. Sure, it was by necessity. There was a limited venue. A couple dozen printed pages. Or a 30-minute newscast. It might have been necessary, but was it honestly a good thing?

And what about trying to get through the HR department, or past the doctor’s office receptionist, or around a publishing house?

Good times.

So, are the gatekeepers still needed?

Bring on the money, jobs, audience, advancement, influence, information! We all circumvent the gatekeepers on a regular basis, and the results are the ability to proactively drive our own personal advancement. Social media, internet search, and technology have created a perfect storm for individual power and nearly unfettered access.

9 Ways Social Media Eliminates Gatekeepers:

Getting a Great Job
No need to worry about getting through the HR manager anymore. The person who has the real authority to hire you probably writes a blog, is on Twitter, contributes to online articles, and has a lot of personal information floating around that you can process to relevantly connect and get seen as a tangible asset, not just another resume.

Gaining Public Awareness
Instead of waiting for the local paper to write a story about your cause or hoping the local TV station covers your event, everyone’s doing an end-run: Blogging it, starting Facebook groups, YouTube-ing it, tweeting it, and using any number of social media tactics that allow for immediate exposure.

Publishing a Book
The resources for self-publishing are numerous, and it seems like everyone has an e-book these days. Not to mention Amazon’s new self-publishing service CreateSpace that will print your books one at a time as they sell.

Becoming a Writer, Columnist, Commentator
So many people dream of being a writer, but before the internet there were limited options. And of course, they all involved begging a gatekeeper to get you an interview with an editor, publisher, or news director. Today, everyone has the opportunity to create a blog or participate on someone else’s. Instead of waiting for the editor of a major newspaper to decide if your comment merits printing, you can comment directly to the article online. And if they don’t allow commenting, there’s sure to be a popular “parasite” blog (or maybe we should call it a “para site”) where your comment will reach an audience already interested in the topic. Your ability to turn this into a career is limited only by your drive, talent, and passion.

Being a Talk Show Host
For anyone who ever dreamed of being a disc jockey on a radio station, an MTV veejay, a TV pundit, or a talk show host, those positions have always been extremely limited in number and getting an interview? Nearly impossible. Entry level? Forget it. Someone has to die first. But today, anyone can host a podcast, create an online talk show, and build an audience.

Being an Actor, Filmmaker, or Celebrity
People are writing their own films and distributing them on YouTube. And getting a zillion views. People are streaming live video, letting viewers follow their lives in real-time or episodically. Famous directors are creating interactive shows where they have freedom from the studio gatekeepers (more on that later). And becoming a celebrity? Since the rise of social media (with some props to reality TV), everybody is a somebody.

Getting New Customers
In the business-to-business world, salespeople have to scratch and claw to gain access to decision-makers. But with social media, every minute you invest in building a relationship with a decision-maker is a minute well spent. And decision makers are generally happy to connect, especially with those who share their interests. Or run in the same social media circles. When you have something valuable to offer and believe in building relationships vs. building accounts, your days of cold calling (and trying to wriggle past gatekeepers) are over.

Getting a College Education
Competition to get into the leading universities is fierce. Twenty years ago if you couldn’t get into a top technology or business school, you couldn’t get access to the program at all. Today, open courseware gives anyone the chance to learn the same thing current students are learning. Okay, this isn’t for everyone because self-directed learning isn’t the path of least resistance. But for those who didn’t have access to top schools for whatever reason, the information is no longer a mystery wrapped in a riddle hiding behind an ivory tower. You might not get the diploma, but in our exponential future where individual inventiveness and quality connections will rule the day, your application of knowledge will be far more valuable than the paper proof that says you were exposed to the knowledge. (Except to the gatekeeper. Which you’re circumventing anyway, right?)

Gaining Access to Information
There’s so much healthcare information and diagnosis apps online that patients can now understand their symptoms better and make first-response decisions without being forced to obtain all their information in an office setting. And if your HMO doctor isn’t giving you enough feedback or doesn’t readily mention costly treatments, patients can go home and access that information and take a more proactive and informed role in their health. This also applies to law, real estate, travel, and pretty much anything else that used to require making an appointment and only getting limited access to information.

We live in some pretty awesome times. Getting what you want and living your dreams is now dependent primarily on your own desire and personal motivation. The tools and opportunities are all available. The gatekeepers may still be around. But just like the Grim Reaper without that ominous scythe, they just don’t scare us much anymore.

Can you think of some gatekeepers that are still around? How are they standing between you and the things you want?

Are there any other ways that social media and access to information have eliminated the gatekeepers in your life?

If you’d like to tweet this post, here’s a trimmed link you can copy and paste: http://tr.im/nogatekeeper

I recently ran across this gem on the tweet circuit. It’s been around for awhile. A little like the mythic chupacabra that disappears for awhile and then mysteriously resurfaces. If you haven’t watched it yet, pretty much stop everything and spend an eye-opening five minutes. The economic momentum of the last century has dissipated. We’re no longer cruising along on a strong dollar and untamed consumerism. What’s happening with the U.S. economy is a result of living in exponential times.

We are living in exponential times. It’s not a Great Depression. It’s a Great Balancing. Some might say Reckoning.

Betcha won’t hear Obama calling it that.

So, the video tells us what’s been happening, but not what it means. We all watched it and scratched our heads. We said “whoaaaa” and forwarded the clip to a handful of friends. Maybe added a link in Facebook. Tweeted it. Blogged it. And then we went back to our skinny lattes and bootcamps. We continued daydreaming about buying that new Prius or iPod or running down to Abercrombie, as if the world wasn’t in a tumultuous spin cycle right outside our window.

Our world is changing. Beyond the obvious. Beyond the Obama. Beyond the recession and drama in the Middle East. Beyond cars that look like insects and phones that measure contractions and 10 year-olds that that know brands better than college professors.

Things are really, truly different. Case in point? The push for national healthcare isn’t simply a humanitarian benevolence. We’re embarking on the end of American culture as we’ve known it. And government leaders are just trying to get the nation prepared for what comes next. A flat, globalized world. They’re looking ahead of the curve to a higher jobless rate and more Americans without private health insurance. They’re trying to find ways to legalize illegal immigration and open the borders to free trade because the dam is too weak to hold back the impending tidal wave. They’re trying to get a very independent nation prepared for interdependence. This is the unspoken message of the Did You Know video. This is what it means to live in exponential times.

In a flat world, what will be will be. You can push back, but only for so long.

Think about it this way. Major companies increasingly can’t stay profitable if they don’t cut even more U.S. jobs and make a more drastic move to cheap (yet competent) labor in developing countries. A flat world enables this to happen. And we’re not just talking about jobs assembling packages of crayons. Think high-tech and skilled trades: According to the video, India alone has more honor graduates than the U.S. has graduates. And their standard of living is well below the U.S.

Got any idea what that means?

These are the exponential consequences of exponential times. Something the Did You Know video didn’t explain.

Okay so, we’re living in a world that’s equalizing. What are we supposed to do?

Thriving in a flat world is all about creating value on an individual basis, and expanding that value as far and wide as possible. In the past, the Renaissance Man was revered. In the Exponential Age, it will be the Exponential Man (or Woman) that has success. The Exponential Human. Someone creating value individually with a broad impact. Someone taking small actions with big results. Think of today’s independent iPhone developer. There’s the potential for exponential value. Because of technology, it no longer requires a corporation to launch great ideas or ubiquitous innovations. The same with journalists and inventors and educators. Silos and vertical structures are out.

All it takes is one human, thinking exponentially.

A life of value in the future will be defined differently and will require a new set of skills. It’s time to start thinking and acting exponentially. Forget the career paths and cafeteria plans and corporate training wheels. A flat world is a different playing field. And we all need to be different players.

Here’s a list of the 6 Essential Skills for Exponential Times. At first, it might look like the expectations for business leaders and entrepreneurs. Exactly. In an exponential world, being entrepreneurial will be a most basic skill, and pretty much a requirement for a meaningful existence.

Skill #1: Rule-Breaking
Rules are great. For dictators, production foremen, and lunch ladies. In a flat world, living outside convention will position you for seizing opportunities. Rule breakers will be ready to consider possibilities that others are told “don’t make sense” or “aren’t the way things are done around here.” Rule breakers will separate from the pack and be comfortable without the security of rules and boundaries. They’ll live on the edge, but they’ll be the ones getting recognized, getting the perks, and getting the life they choose. In exponential times, rule breakers will rule.

Skill #2: Entrepreneurial
Seeking out new opportunities and new ways of connecting and creating will be the calling card of the Exponential Human. This doesn’t necessarily mean creating new businesses, but it definitely means carving out personal opportunities. And finding them even when there isn’t an available mentor or an established path. In the Exponential Age, the entrepreneurial thinkers and relentless doers will get the cookies.

Skill #3: Self-Educating
During the 20th century, education was developed for the masses. Pink Floyd nailed it with “Another Brick in the Wall.” Innovation and free-thinking were not encouraged. Because it wasn’t convenient. Thinking outside the box was reserved for someone else. Not you. The reason? For most of the century coming out of World War II, the U.S. was in the midst of an Industrial Age. An industrial-focused nation thrives on production and consumption. And you sitting back doing what you’re told. No meat, no pudding.

But really think about it. According to the Did You Know video, the things that today’s student learns in their freshmen year of college will be obsolete by their third year. This means the next generation must be more proactive than ever in learning independently and not relying on structured programs. In a flat world, the people who will thrive and live personally exponential lives will be the ones who don’t sit back and wait to be taught. They’ll be the ones searching for information and charting their own educational course. They’ll follow the information. And create a curriculum that works for the emerging world. An individualized world. Self-learners will have an incredible advantage during exponential times.

Skill #4: Bonding
It’s not enough to network. It’s not enough to connect. In a flat world, strength and success will come to people and companies who bond with the people around them. Those bonds can be through adding value to people’s lives through technology, information, guidance, validation, or friendship. Social media is just the infant phase of what will come. Once everyone racks up 20,000 Facebook friends and a half million Twitter followers, there’ll be a backlash. Connections won’t have value, but bonding with them will. Think of it as a spider web. Do you want yours made out of silly string or super glue?

Watch over time as those with less influence and less interest in bonding grow their numbers, while the authentic exponential thinkers decrease their numbers. When anyone can have thousands of followers, a lower number of connections will become the new status symbol. In exponential times, expanding your reach widely does have value, but not if it’s half an inch deep. Bonding will be a matter of how much value you can provide to the people you’ve promised it to. And the exponential part comes when those you’ve bonded with spread your product, your message, your value. For companies, bonding will be key to branding. Which is why when social media is done right, it packs such a punch.

Skill #5: Revolutionary
I love Intel’s Rock Star campaign. It really speaks to the idea of revolutionaries having personal power. The revolutionaries in exponential times will be the ones inventing and creating. Brains that thrive on change, innovation and invention, high information uptake, and leveraging technologies are geared for the future. Revolutionaries are at the forefront, creating the future. It might be in seemingly small ways like transforming the structure of a microchip or creating a Facebook or iPhone app. But the exponential thinker realizes that small ideas can create big revolutions.

Skill #6: Visionary
In exponential times, the most important thing to remember is that everything is changing faster than ever. And from even minor changes come a butterfly effect. Having the skill of vision allows you to imagine what’s possible, imagine what’s next, and predict the needs and values of tomorrow. Looking in all directions from the center of the pond. So you can be developing ideas and solutions, and preparing to meet future needs today. Because there will be a new need tomorrow. And visionary thinkers will be ready for that, too.

The best way to predict the future is to create it. In exponential times it’s even more important to be ahead of the curve if you want to have control of your life, your ideas, and your potential. When the future happened yesterday, having essential skills puts you in the middle of where the action will be tomorrow. And positions you for living, and thriving, in exponential times.

Can you think of additional skills for becoming an Exponential Human in the Exponential Age?

*This video was originally designed in 2006 as a Powerpoint for a faculty presentation at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado to emphasize the importance of education. In its various versions it’s now been seen by at least 15 million people. The video is credited to Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman.

I got this thing all figured out.

The universe, you know.

Once upon a time there was nothing. And then after a “Big Bang” there was something.

And as things started expanding there was a lot more of this something. And then the universal momentum waned and gravity took over. Things contracted. Once again there was nothing.

You’ll have to forgive me. I saw Star Trek this weekend.

Read more…

You may not like today’s post.

I’m not laying into ghost tweeters. I’m not telling Domino’s where it’s at. I’m not even going to say a single word about big media. Really.

Today I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m going to whip up an informative post. (gasp!) Something you can actually use. Today I’m going to talk about social media. And what the heck you’re supposed to do with it.

So let’s get to the thing. A lot of people out there are trying to figure out what to make of social media. How to use it. How to master it. How to turn it into something that doesn’t scare small children. Companies are trepidatiously calling their agencies. Talking to their buddies on the golf course. Acting all cloak and dagger in the break room as if they’re talking about tampons or hemorrhoids. Asking the same question. All in hushed tones.

“What exactly is this whole social media thing anyway?”

“What is Twitter?”

“How do you get your kids to friend you on Facebook?”

Well you could ask a social media expert. Or you could just pull out that Swiss Army knife you’ve got stuffed in your shirt/pocket/purse/glove box.

Because social media is essentially a Swiss Army knife. And a Roman legion of social media experts can’t tell you more about social media than a simple Swiss Army knife can.

Social media is a tool.

A tool to get something done. Just like you’d pull out the multi-appendaged knife’s shiny corkscrew to pop open a bottle of wine three minutes after the boss leaves on a Friday. Or flip out the nail file to dig leaky printer ink from your fingernails before meeting with the CEO. Or open up that handy 2″ mini-blade to fend off a savage bear attack.

This is social media. Nothing fancy about it. You can sprinkle fairy dust all over Facebook and MySpace. You can pretend Second Life is going to go mainstream. You can daydream about the 19,530 Twitter followers Gary McCaffrey promises to get you in 30 days. Right. And all the wealth and riches that supposedly goes along with that.

But at the end of the day, social media isn’t magic. It’s just a tool, a multi-functional, albeit bright red and shiny tool. Waiting for a purpose. And without clear objectives and ultra-sharp strategy, using social media is like trying to cut a rope with those cute little Swiss Army tweezers. Not the right tool. Might make a dent but ultimately it’s not going to work. And certainly isn’t going to be efficient.

Yeah, I could have walked away right now and left this a neat, tidy little sub-1500 word post that might not eat up a whole lunch break. But why have a Swiss Army knife if you can’t take it out and play with it. It has so many nifty little pieces.

So here’s my collection of social media Swiss Army tools. Each for a specific use, each with its own capability. Just like the Swiss Army knife, social media packs a whallop. But it’s only effective when each tool is understood and used for its proper purpose and executed within the confines of a comprehensive marketing strategy.

1. Social Media as an Account Planning Research Tool
When used as an account planning tool, social media helps a company connect to the pulse of the consumer market and gain insight into how to speak with consumers and how to influence them more relevantly. Social media account planning complements traditional primary research methods and gets closer to raw opinions and of-the-moment brand conversation.

2. Social Media as an SEO Research Tool
Social media can also complement SEO research. Granted, there are a lot of great SEO tools out there that can tell you which search terms are trending for your specific market, as well as what’s being overused or underused, and a whole slew of other fun toys. But adding social media research to the mix allows you to do some of the digging yourself so you can see first-hand the keywords in the context of real-time conversation, get a feel for trends by reading blogs, and experimenting with the results of long tail search terms. It’s kind of like the difference between getting a creative brief in your IN BOX vs. hearing all the nuances from listening to the client speak about the project. I always prefer the latter. A lot of SEO practitioners will probably say that analyzing link juice, page rank, search terms, and evaluating reach and exposure is naturally social media. I’m just saying it can be used in a truly social way, where a warm body is doing the research as opposed to a search engine algorithm.

3. Social Media as a Public Relations Tool
Social media is a way for traditional public relations counselors to execute their strategies in a more proactive way, building even stronger relationships with bloggers, news brands, and online journalists. It also opens the window on getting brand exposure in more venues than they’ve ever had access to. Purposing social media for PR uses strategies similar to traditional PR, but using this new set of tools allows for more proactive innovation in the execution. A social media twist can be spun on press releases, corporate communiqué, reputation management, or awareness programs. And on and on.

4. Social Media as a Point-of-Sale Tool
As a virtual point-of-purchase tool, social media can serve as the catalyst for a buying decision. This can be anything from having a sales agent manning the Twitter feed to being proactive about forum interaction on your website. Or creating a virtual sales agent on your website ready to interact in real-time. Or a strategically-placed banner ad. The key is having a proactive presence at the virtual points where customers are likely to be making final purchasing decisions.

5. Social Media as a Customer Service Tool
Social media can be used to field customer complaints and questions, or to direct customers to the appropriate point of contact for specific needs and requests. Or to educate. Or just to have a (gasp!) real conversation. Using social media as a customer service and customer relationship management tool (thanks @AlexnNYC!) lets brands get closer to the customer when the customer needs them most, which in turn influences brand trust and provides brand assurance.

6. Social Media as Direct Sales Tool
Yeah, it’s pretty obvious. There are those wonderfully high-minded folks who’ve discovered that social media can be used as the least appreciated form of marketing: door-to-door sales. Load up an auto DM with a “free e-book” link or the URL to your product website and you’re treading a really thin line. When you don’t have the time, budget, or marketing know-how to launch something subtle, strategic, and targeted, or you’re pretty sure the only way to make a sale is to overwhelm the consumer with big promises and TMI, there’s always social media as a direct sales tool. You’ve seen it around. You know who’s doing it. You’re probably ignoring it.

7. Social Media as a Direct Marketing Tool
This is a tool that allows marketers to quickly identify and qualify leads and blanket large numbers of potential customers with highly-targeted or loosely targeted direct messaging. Consider it a kinder, gentler form of spamming. Which means when it’s used in social media it probably has a tiny bit more relevance than those Viagra and Mexican pharmacy emails that just won’t go away. But not much.

8. Social Media as an Advertising Tool
In place of television, radio, outdoor, and print are YouTube, podcasting, banner ads, an
d blogs. Social media as an advertising tool is so massive I can’t even begin to lay out the land without upgrading my hosting package. (okay I’m still on blogspot, just go with me here). The key is that social media as an advertising tool seeks to achieve similar objectives as traditional media, but the tactics and path to sale are different. Requiring a whole new set of strategies. And a very different looking media department.

9. Social Media as a Brand Positioning Engagement Tool
I love brand positioning. There’s just something about getting to the core of a product, service, and company that makes my day. Truly brilliant advertising/marketing is founded on solid brand positioning. Getting to the core of what matters to the client and what’s true about the company and product. Social media is a phenomenal tool in this respect. It’s two-pronged. First, it allows a brand team to delve into the blogosphere, twittersphere, socialsphere, and googlesphere to uncover hidden consumer realities and motivations that ultimately drive brand positioning. On the other side, it gives a brand the chance to be authentic in its connections. When consumers interact with a brand in social media they walk away with a more saturated, lasting brand aftertaste. Social media as a brand positioning tool makes a connection that can ultimately be even more powerful than the connection made through traditional media. And man. Is that hard for me to say. Because one of my greatest passions is harnessing the power of a core value to make a tangible brand connection using something as flimsy as TV/radio/print. But social media ramps that ability right up to 11.

10. Social Media as a Community Tool
I started to lump this with Brand Positioning. But I needed a 10th. And because growing a social media community hinges on crafting a brand experience from the “promise” perspective. And that’s branding, baby. But because of this new and interesting animal we call “co-ownership” it creates a need to manage the brand community. Let’s just say community picks up where brand positioning strategy ends. Oh and you can expect your customers to now have the title of Brand Manager. You no longer own the brand nor do you control it with an iron fist. This gives you the chance to build customer loyalty in a fresh, new way. Or fail in a fresh, new way. So you better do a good job. With customers. Not just at the awards show and on the blogging circuit. Because people will talk. And that’s why today, protecting your social media community is just as essential as protecting your trademark. Only not as easy.

The Difference Between Marketing and Social Media
Okay, just because you can head out into the hinterlands with nothing but a Clif Bar and a Swiss Army knife and still come out alive, a brand cannot survive with a social media Swiss Army knife alone.

Pack the whole bag.

Integrate. Realize that “marketing” is that 5000 cubic inch Kelty backcountry pack you’ve had strapped on for many an adventure. It holds a lot of gear. You need that gear. A social media Swiss Army knife is just a part of it.

Are there more social media Swiss Army tools? You betcha. We haven’t even gotten into the Strategic Alliance tool, Referral Marketing tool, and I’m sure there’s someone out there working on a Timeshare Marketing tool. Lord help us. But the point is social media is a tool that has a lot of different purposes. And none of them should be used just because they look pretty. Yeah, a Swiss Army knife is a beauty to behold. It’s even got a place in MOMA. But unless you’re MacGyver you really shouldn’t expect it to launch rocket ships.

Okay, so as much as I’d like to go on and on and map out which social media networks work best with which tools, and go into the mix and match uses of blogging, video blogging, podcasting, webinars, Yelp, and Yahoo Answers, this isn’t a white paper and that little man with the stick is jumping up and down. Apparently I’ve exceeded the time limit. They want me backstage. Now.

Your turn. What are the social media Swiss Army tools you’re using? How are you using them? And why. Let’s pack this bag.

*****
The term “Swiss Army” is a registered trademark owned by Wenger S.A. and Victorinox A.G.