Having worked with scores of global brands and getting a close look at their internal perspective on social media, here are some fundamental truths that social media practitioners need to tackle head-on rather than blundering on in denial.
#1 Social media may be mainstream, but that doesn't mean everyone is a believer.
I've lost count of the number of times that I've had to convince executives at large global brands that social media is inevitable. Like it or not, the dirty secret of corporate America is that many executives are still leery of social media. So don't despair if your management is not willing to adopt social media, you're not alone. Rather than villifying the naysayers, it's far more effective to address their concerns and prove the value of doing social media (as well as risk of avoiding it). If you're looking for management buy-in, start by clearly articulating the benefits of proactive engagement in social media and follow that up with clear outline of the consequences of inaction.
#2 You can't outsource social media strategy to an agency.
Having worked mostly on the client side, I have to admit that my perspective is somewhat biased and that I have worked with agencies that are simply brilliant. However, every agency is looking out for itself (as they should) and they're more interested in increasing their share of business rather than helping your business. I mean, how many agencies have their revenue tied to your company's performance? Probably none. So the reality is that companies need to take charge of their social media strategy and have it driven by business objectives rather than some bright shiny plan laid out by their agency.
#3 Quantity is an antiquated way of measuring success.
These days, everyone and their granny is a social media expert. I met someone recently who pointed to driving million odd fans on a Facebook page as a proof of why they're indeed a social media expert. Measuring social media success through the number of Facebook likes or Twitter followers is the same as looking at traffic numbers as the sole success measure. Chances are that traditional media like email or search probably have similar or better metrics, but that's conveniently ignored by these so-called experts. If you're just getting started in social media, it's okay to look at rudimentary metrics but once you get past the initial stage, make sure you're hiring "experts" who can tie these metrics to your business objectives such as customer loyalty and/or sales.