By Josh Davis

By their very nature, most social media articles and how-to guides focus on ideas for those who are already actively using social media. If you are in that group, I still think you will find these steps interesting. But this three step approach to solving your organization’s social media plan, also works if you don’t even know what Facebook or Twitter is.

The three steps . . .

1. Go through your business/corporate ladder (or just a list of employees). Start all the way the top and go down. Circle everyone on that list who has these six qualities:

• You trust their opinion.
• They make good decisions quickly.
• Have shown the willingness to learn new ideas, concepts and/or technology.
• Are able to write and edit effectively.
• Gets along with a variety of people well.
• Understand your business.

2. Take the lowest paid person in your organization who has all those qualities, bump their salary a bit and make them your Head of Social Media. Have them report just to you.

3. Have them spend the next month doing nothing else on company time except:

• Talk to one person in your organization every day. Try to plan it so they can talk to people at all different levels and areas of the business including the your lowest paid employees.
• Have them start their own personal social media accounts and use them daily.
• Give them the ability to broacast their interest in social media to your organization. And then talk to employees who are currently using social media in their daily lives (including just personally)
• Have them go to social media conferences, meet-ups or any gatherings were social media is discussed
• Have them go to meetings that involve your business community whether that be local or industry focused.

At the end of one month, ask them what they want to do.  

Then you will have your social media plan.