The Social Meda Strategist

I just finished, The Social Media Strategist : Build a Successful Program from the Inside Out by Christopher Barber. This book is about building a successful social media program inside a large company, like IBM, GM or Ford Motor Company. Mr. Barber should know; he has worked for IBM and General Motors as social media leader.

About the Author

Christopher Barber was working at GM when the car manufacturer went bankrupt and had to be restructured with involvement by the Federal government. In 18 months, he underwent a accelerated course in social media that would have taken years to complete elsewhere. He shares this expertise with the reader.

Social Media in Large Corporations

Social = Communications  The company, top-down, must OWN social media. Everyone should realize the social web is vibrant and growing and should be managed to the benefit of the brand. There must be consensus and acceptance of social media by all involved departments, especially the departments that will believe social media should be under their auspices.  
 


Key Members of Social Media Team

• lead - actively involved in networks, accountable, "gets" social media, likes people, extroverted.
• evangelist - "business savvy, a common touch, marketing sense, common sense, and a little bit of geek . . .  [without] an overdeveloped ego."
• executive champion promotes "open mindedness to social media . . . establishing where authority rests . . . enforcing that authority when disputes arise . . ."

Other Chapters

• ROI and measurement, 
• legal issues, 
• social media policy, 
• training employees to use social media, 
• working with bloggers
• keeping the social media team lean, and
• what to do when mistakes are made.

I will not spill the blow-by-blow details on the GM bankruptcy. However, if you want to see how social media can be used as a tool for transparency and communication, read "Chapter 13 THREE MILE ISLAND: THE GM BANKRUPTCY CRISIS."