We had the great opportunity to attend Free State Social, which was hopefully the first annual of many Free State Social events to come. While there have been a vast number of recaps, write-ups, etc. following the event (and you can find most of them in the recap section of the Free State Social website), below is a small collection of the things that impacted us most.

Chris Brogan (follow on Twitter: @chrisbrogan)

• Having a social media department is like having a phone department. 100% agreed.  Regardless of how a company decides to utilize social media, it’s a responsibility that can fall on the entire company – not just one person/department. This gives a more honest, personable view of your company/brand to the world. Not the filtered, often diluted view.
• “Would you say that at a party?” – Things to think about before you post/comment in social media. Too often we scream/broadcast information out in social media. No one wants to hear how great we think we are. Have conversations and make connections to prove it.

 
Shawna Coronado (Follow on Twitter: @ShawnaCoronado)

• In social media – you are the brand. I think too many people forget this. If the content you provide via social media is stiff or stodgy, people will view your brand as such. If all you ever talk about is yourself (as a company/brand) people will get turned off and view you as arrogant. By being nice, personable and most importantly – being yourself, people begin to identify with you and stop viewing you as that looming corporate entity.

 
Sarah Evans (Follow on Twitter: @prsarahevans)

• Think like those you’re trying to reach. Too often corporations utilize social media and come off sounding, well, too corporate. With social media being an easy way to reach out and engage with people, companies should think and speak like those that they’re trying to reach.

 
Jeremiah Owyang (Follow on Twitter: @jowyang)

• Always ask why. When contemplating a social media tactic, companies should stop before jumping in and ask why. Don’t create a Facebook page or a Twitter account just to have one – you must realize how your customers will interact with it, and set aside time to really interact back with them. A passive social media strategy is a bad strategy because if you’re out there, people expect an immediate response, as too often in social media “real-time is not fast enough.”

 
What was your favorite moment(s) from Free State Social? Share with us!

Free State Social #FSSocial. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog