A few years ago — my children, who are two years apart in age — were ready to learn how to ride a two-wheeled bike. That Christmas, the kids received a balance bike to share. My daughter had little interest in the bike. My son loved it. In less than a month, he was zipping around the neighborhood with abandon. My daughter opted for the more traditional bike with training wheels. In the summer, it was time to take the wheels off my daughter’s bike. After many tentative starts and about a week of running along next to her, she finally got the hang of two wheels. My son – who now had to follow his older sister’s lead – decided it was time to transition to a “real bike.” After one hesitant start on his new bike, I ran with him for less than ten feet and he was off – and he never looked back.
Sometimes, we become so used to certain ways of doing things, we close our eyes to something different that can make our lives easier. Now that social media is engrained in business operations, it may be time to look at new ways to manage the information stream coming in and out our companies.
When social media became a platform for corporate communications, many companies assigned one or two people to oversee streams of information coming in from channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked In. Over time, these information channels exploded, and now are the priority communication channel. Having one or two staff people to monitor social media is like trying to ride a two-wheel bike after having training wheels on for too long.
Today, there are social media businesses that can manage this influx of information and monitor all the channels efficiently. Companies like HootSuite, Buffer, Viralheat and Sprout Social (among others), offer unique dashboards and outlets that allow companies to gain instant insight into their Internet presence, as well as efficiently push messages out.
When I was growing up, I never heard of such a thing as a balance bike. Fifteen years ago, a social media dashboard company didn’t exist. While it is easy to rely on traditional training wheels and established social media staffing, maybe it is bolder to find your balance in a different way. Whether by a balance bike, an internal staff using a dashboard, or using an external company to manage social media content and volume – trying a new tact could provide the quick, smooth ride your company needs.
Author: Robin Imbesi