There isn’t a success formula or a step-by-step program on how to use social media. And so called “experts” don’t exist, in my opinion (I think those people are full of it).

However, most businesses know they need to learn how to social media effectively. Many try it, jump-in, and learn the tools without a game plan. In fact, a recent study found 52% of social marketers are operating “without a game plan.”

All that said, there are 3 things I believe businesses and people need to keep in mind, in order to put them in a position for success: passion, consistency and hard work.

Passion
The internet is such a rapidly evolving space. Things shift in weeks and months not years. You must have a passion for this stuff to keep up. Sure you can fake it, but having an inherent desire helps.

Consistency
There is a rule in branding that can be applied when using social media: “Consistency facilitates recognition”. While social media allows you to experiment and try things, your business and personal brand needs to be mindful of all communication. Everything you do communicates a message. The collective set of topics you write about or publish communicates an holistic message. Make sure your efforts are strategic, aligned, and consistent- this will ensure your desire of how you want to be perceived is a reality (this applies to both businesses and individuals).

Hard Work
Showing up is step #1. Working hard at this stuff is step #2. Being actively aware and practicing in the social space takes time. This means just dedicating hours to be a practitioner and understand the space. Malcolm Gladwell tells us it takes 10,000 hours of performing a specific task to be successful.

Social media is green field, moving and changing daily. There are great analysts, who are great resources to keep up with it all. You should follow people like Jeremiah Owyang from the Altimeter Group (formerly Forrester), who are aggregating emerging models and presenting best practices.

There is no single right answer, strategy or tactic for any substantive length of time.

It takes passion, consistency, and hard work to keep doing it right.
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