If you run a business and are not yet sold on the value of social media, then getting a mentor is a truly great way to get into it. You don't need to be part of a formal scheme like I am; look around within or outside your company and ask someone who would be willing to give some time to help you - if even for an hour a month.
These are my tips for anyone who wants to get started, whether as a mentor or mentee:
- Set yourselves specific goals - the more specific the better. You are working together on limited time, so decide what business problems you would like to solve. Establish targets for increased online referrals; cut cost per customer by moving conversations online; increase online buzz about your brand by x% and so on.
- Mentees - you may find it hard to fit in your social media 'homework' on top of your everyday jobs, but set aside 10 minutes a day to do it - it's better to do it little and often.
- Use division of labour. If you run a successful business, why don't you delegate some of your tasks to your staff, according to their strengths and roles? And don't automatically think this is the intern's job - giving someone you can't trust the responsibility of representing your brand online could be potentially disasterous.
- Communicate frequently and often, and be open to suggestions. The best thing about my relationship with my mentee is that I can always check up on her activity. I read her tweets and blogs, and I am able to email her straight away with feedback and suggestions.
- Finally, enjoy learning from one another. In the short space of time that I have been working with my mentee, I have gained some invaluable business insight, while my mentee has started to question and re-evaluate her fundamental marketing and branding strategy now that she has started out in the world of social media.
Look out for an update on my mentoring programme in the next few months.
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