Impromptu stand-ups

We've all been there - working in an office, you may be in close proximity to other departments, but even being 10 feet away it can be difficult to learns about events/info/news that might be of interest to your social media audience. Inevitably, you get busy, they get busy, your own deadlines and agendas trump any chance of hitting all of the meetings or connecting with key people, and you miss out.

However, there is a way to connect. As the old adage goes, where there's a will...

Sometimes all it takes is grabbing a few key people on the fly for a quick 5-minute "stand-up". I'm not calling this a meeting, because that term can be painful to some, and may make them check-out in their head before you even get started. Make sure you have a short agenda in your head to keep it productive. Keep the group small, manageable. Each person gets a minute to share - short and sweet. You'll be amazed at what tips and gems you can garner in such a short "sitting".

Sure, planning ahead is great, and sitting in on those pub, marketing or internal communications meetings are key, but we're not Stretch Armstrong - we can only go so far.

Listen, Listen, Listen

There is significance in that I have three "listens" in my title.

The first is a give. A large part of working successfully in social media is listening to your audience/community. They will tell you what they want to know more about. They'll tell each other the secrets that you have been wanting to hear but had no place to eavesdrop. They will let you know what's wrong, what's right, and by not speaking up, they'll tell you what doesn't interest them.

Secondly, a portion of that success comes from listening to your peers in the industry to learn new things. What new tool is your competition using that might be of benefit to your next campaign? What can you take from a recent "Top 10" post and meld to make your own? With such a new industry, we're all trying to find what works best, and tuning into those external conversations will keep you in the loop.

Finally, listen to your coworkers. Just because they don't actively participate in social media at work doesn't mean that it's not of interest to them. I'm not a burger-flipper, but I do have an idea of what toppings I'd like to see on my double cheeseburger that, if they were used, could end up being a best seller. I'm lucky in that most of my extended team are personally socially active, so they understand the basics. I am also lucky in that they are also hungry for knowledge and like to share. So give your colleagues the chance to speak - you're no expert (yet) and collaboration can only help.