Granted it is relatively easy to set up your own Twitter channel, YouTube page or Facebook presence, but a lot of companies are rushing in and not applying the usual disciplines that they would apply for other media. It is possible to build your own website for free on the web, but what serious company would do that?!  Companies appoint agencies to help them plan, deliver and maintain web sites. And serious companies should do the same for social media. It is simply too important to treat in an amateurish way.

There are different divisions of social media practitioners  in the world of business. Some are light years ahead of others because they have thought seriously about their social media strategies. They have not just dived in and set something up to demonstrate they are doing something.

Instead they have developed plans, resourced them properly and thought through what will work best. They have also listened to what is being said online and realised that social media requires companies to behave and act differently. Simply transferring existing corporate materials into the social media space is not going to work.

The other point that some companies fail to appreciate is that social media networks and platforms are in essence empty vessels. It is what you do with them that matters. How you use them is crucial. Of course you can channel anything through Twitter. But what is really going to appeal to your audience? You might want to start a blog, but is it appropriate? Will people bother to read it? Are you sure your audience will want to actually spend their valuable time reading it? Social media requires a more professional approach.