Embracing 2013 with change, evolution, and commitment in social media

Happy 2013! I hope the year has gone off very well for you all so far. 🙂 Coming back to Louisville from the holidays has been quite the journey, but it has also given me some time to think about the upcoming year in a positive and fabulous way.  The past few days I was in Tampa, FL for the NITOP conference with my Mom.  It was great seeing her present and also being referred to as “2.0” for Dr. Freberg 2.0. 🙂

One of the things that is always good to do at the new year as well is to not only come up with resolutions for the upcoming new year, but also think about your social media presence. Here are some things to think about and consider as you start thinking about what you would like to do via social media for 2013:

• How are you presented and what do you want to do to help evolve your personal brand?: Consider this your digital resolution for the upcoming year – ask yourself what you want to accomplish this upcoming year and what are some of your goals? Do you want to increase your following on certain platforms? What about having a number of guest blog posts? These are just a few things to think about and consider.  Personally, one of my goals for the upcoming year is to learn more about video and other additional visuals shared and created via social media tools. Plus, updating social media guidelines as the technology evolves is also good to consider.
• Creating a centralized location for all of your platforms: You want to consider various social media sites still as your extensions to your personal brand, but the hub is going to be your blog or website. Update regularly based on the platform and look at what content people are looking for specifically. For me, I use Twitter  for not only conversing with fellow PR, social media, and crisis professionals, but also share articles, infographics, and related pictures or Ptchs based on my own experiences to showcase my personality and reputation.
• Produce, create, and produce some more!: If you have created a strong following from the year before, you want to continue the momentum with these insights. Come up with a schedule that works best for you and integrate this as part of your regular routine.  For me, writing on my blog really works for me either early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
• Lead by example and be all you can be with social media:  Life – whether it is offline or online – is precious, so take this opportunity to learn new tools, explore emerging trends and issues, and continue to engage and connect with others online across these platforms.

In summary, we are in a digital society – and 2013 is going to emphasize that even more.  We have to be engaged with how we are presented and what we can do to make sure we continue the practices that have been successful and continue to evolve as well. This takes time and dedication – but this is becoming the new normal for PR and social media professionals and researchers.

Hope you all are having a great day.

Best Wishes,

Karen