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What’s your company’s social media policy? Probably shortsighted. Social media, or social networking – better defined by the larger players: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube – has become more than a global phenomenon. When combined with your online presence and online outreach, it’s a global business phenomenon, and a revenue-generating phenomenon. If it’s done right.

Many businesses are using social media.

Many businesses are not using social media.

Many businesses forbid social media.

Many businesses are still trying to figure out what to do.

Wake up and smell the re-tweets! Social media is not only here to stay; the few businesses that are heavily involved are (silently) reaping the benefits.

Why silently? Because they don’t want their (stupid, chicken, technophobic) competitors to wake up and get on the bandwagon, or should I say, brandwagon.

NOTICE TO THE SHORTSIGHTED MANAGEMENT THAT IS AFRAID TO LET THE NEW WORLD IN: I assume your health-care package includes blood-letting.

REALITY: There’s a huge trust factor at hand – you can’t treat your salespeople like children and expect them to act like adults.

What management is saying by restricting social media access:

• We don’t trust our people to do the right thing.

• This is how we want our young employees to perceive management.

• We want to create an opening for competition to steal our customers.

• We want to create an opening for competition to hire our disgruntled employees.

• We want to create an opening for a huge morale issue.

• We want to create a word-of-mouth issue about our low technology and trust.

• We want to create a perception in customers of our inferior technology.

And worst of all:

• We want to lose an unbelievable chance for feedback from customers.

IDEA: If you don’t allow standard Facebook – allow Facebook Fan or “Like” pages.

IDEA: Create a social media training program that teaches what it is, how it works and what to do to succeed.

BETTER IDEA: Seek professional help.

BEST IDEA: When you establish guidelines, tell employees what they CAN do, not what they can’t do.

Here’s a simple list of how to enter the social media world:

• Model after others who are successful.

• Create attraction through value and valuable information offered.

• Offer value before asking for money.

• Don’t stick your big toe in the water. Dive in!

Need more reality?

• There are 450 million people on Facebook. Who’s your fan? Who likes you?

• There are 30 million people on Twitter. How are you sending value messages to thousands of customers and prospects – for free?

• There are 65 million business people on LinkedIn. What’s your share of connections and leads?

• There are millions of videos posted on YouTube every day. Why aren’t some of them yours?

How are people finding you?

Who’s your fan?

Who’s following you?

Who’s re-tweeting you?

Who’s reaching out to connect with you?

ANSWER: NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE!

And it’s FREE!

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2010 Jeffrey H. Gitomer