Get Started - Expect Mistakes

Get Started – Expect Mistakes

 November 10, 2011      Michael Bickerton

Anyone who reads my blog knows I love the information I get from Entrepreneur magazine. It’s actually the ONLY printed piece I subscribe to. For the record, I get it online as well. Entrepreneur is full of good ideas, good content and good writers; I particularly like the web+ by Mikal Belicove.

Today, however, I’d like to share my thoughts with you from an article by Neil Patel (I’m kind of a big deal) @neilpatel on Twitter. The article  “Five Social Media Mistakes Your Startup Must Avoid” provides good information.

How can you go wrong?

  1. Strategic plan, have one
  2. Post at 5PM, the timing sweet spot
  3. Social Media Etiquette, use it
  4. Measure you social media activities
  5. Watch your competition online

The article is good, makes sense and provides good advice. So, let’s all do what we can to avoid mistakes, surely our online and social media experiences will improve. Measuring your emarketing and social media activity is fairly difficult and takes both time and money.

If intending on following Neil’s advice (you are getting good information), be aware, do not let yourself overwhelmed by the work outlined in the article. As your digital agency, I have a large caveat. Let’s not get too carried away with Neil’s advice, after all, it’s better to get started with a small allotment of time and money, than it is to sit on the sidelines.

Social Media is new, there’s lots going on and it’s constantly changing. My advice is to get started. It’s OK to make a few mistakes. Exactly how do you make decisions about social media until you understand it? We run into all kinds of savvy business owners and marketing professionals who are NOT engaged. They are not using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Many times when I talk about Slideshare or YouTube I get a blank look. If you can’t taste it, feel it and visualize it, exactly how do we come to a consensus about next steps?

Today’s’ take away; you have to be engaged, involved and active in social media prior to utilizing Neil’s advice. Better to get started and get involved than be on the sidelines, and remember, it’s OK to make some mistakes; you’ll be wiser for them.

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, Toronto, November 2011

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