{"id":480,"date":"2008-06-23T05:41:00","date_gmt":"2008-06-23T12:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paulgillin.com\/2008\/06\/social-media-tools-dont-matter.html"},"modified":"2008-06-23T05:41:00","modified_gmt":"2008-06-23T12:41:00","slug":"social-media-tools-dont-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gillin.com\/blog\/2008\/06\/social-media-tools-dont-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Tools Don't Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

From my <\/span>weekly newsletter<\/a>. Subscribe using the sign-up box to the right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a question I hear from marketers all the time: \u201cWe want to launch a corporate blog, but we don\u2019t know how to go about it. Where should we start?\u201d<\/p>\n

My answer is that you should start a couple of steps back from where you are. Social media tools \u2013 whether they\u2019re blogs, online communities, instructional videos or something else – don\u2019t solve anything unless they address a specific business need. Don\u2019t use social media for its own sake. Use it to accomplish an objective.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the temptation is difficult to resist. Lots of businesses are experimenting with social media tools these days. It\u2019s natural to think that they know something the rest of us don\u2019t, but the reality is that most people are still kicking tires right now. There are some very successful companies like Apple Computer that are doing nothing with social media because they don\u2019t have to. If the tools aren\u2019t right for your culture or your business, don\u2019t use them.<\/p>\n

Whatever you do, don\u2019t start the decision process with technology. The choice of a social media tool is no more relevant to the success of a campaign than is the choice of paint to the structural integrity of a house. Many tools are flexible enough to be used for multiple purposes and some strategic goals require you to leverage many tools in concert.<\/p>\n

Stop and consider the problem or opportunity you\u2019re trying to address. Here are a few possible business objectives, with the best tool options listed in parentheses.<\/p>\n