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But… who cares?

While it seems the mass majority of people have caught on to social networking through sites like Facebook and Twitter, there are still some who maintain a “who cares?” mentality.

In fact, the other night during a dinner with my parents and in-laws, the conversation turned to the topic of Facebook and my father-in-law said just that – “who cares?”

As public relations professionals, it is our job to make sure your audience DOES care about what you post on these social networking sites. As the manager of these tools and behind-the-scenes “puppet master,” it is important to keep in mind that you are speaking on behalf of the organization, not as an individual. For example, it you think your post might be interesting enough for Failbook.com, it’s not meant for your organization.

Organizations and personal pages are meant to be separate, which is why these parameters are key to keeping your organization on the right side of a fine line:

1. Brief
Social media is for people on the go. They want to know all the details upfront to fit into the average eight-second attention span.

2. Timely
As an organization, it is your job to give your audience information as soon as it happens. In cases like Facebook and Twitter, the user chooses where they receive information and, if they chose you, you better give them what they want, when they want it – or they won’t stick around for long.

3. Informative
Unless you are involved in a political campaign, keep things objective. People want to hear the facts from your organization, not necessarily the opinions. It may sounds elementary, but stick to the who, what, when, where, how and why when it comes to your posts.

4. Positive
People want to be around positive energy. The same applies to social networking. If you perpetually post positive tips, trends and news, people will be more likely to follow you to get a dose of your positive energy. Facebook and Twitter should never be an outlet for complaints or negativity.

5. Error-free
Read twice, post once. A grammatical or spelling error can damage your credibility as an expert in your field or industry.

Beyond these five tips, perhaps the most important is to have fun with your posts and updates. Social networking sites are made for casual communication, so skip the formal jargon and you’ll avoid the “who cares” reaction.

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