“Practice what you preach.” We’ve all said it in many contexts, particularly towards public figures, but its time we look at ourselves in the same light. When it comes to social media, most marketers are guilty of saying “We should be on Facebook. We need a twitter account. Why don’t we create an iPhone app?” But more often than not, we’re not referring to ourselves; in these cases we almost exclusively refer to our brand. Often times, it’s true—marketers should be utilizing these media—but in order to do so, we need to understand so much more than its potential; we need to understand as a citizen of these communities.

Certainly, you can learn a lot from looking at the successes and practices of other companies or brands already on social media platforms, but ultimately your brand must join these conversations in a way that is relevant to your product, as another’s path may not lead to the same end. In order to mitigate risk factors when launching a social media presence, it is crucial for us, the practitioners, to understand the community’s rituals, vernacular, and relationships as an organic participant.

Consider this: we are trying to rally our audience around a mindset (“Brand X is my brand”) and a behavior (buying Brand X.) Think of the spokespeople who have rallied communities to create a great impact. Martin Luther King Jr. Harvey Milk. They worked within a community to inspire it as one of them. Until we can see how to be a part of these communities, we cannot be a trusted voice. Once we are trusted within a community, our counterparts will reach out to others and act on their beliefs through engagement with your brand, and hopefully, the purchase of your product or service.

These days, people are skeptical of branded communication and have sophisticated filters, ready to discard any pitch that doesn’t ring true. So how can you prepare yourself for a success in social media? It’s simple: practice it.

• Join the communities you’d like to leverage and discover the capabilities of the platform. Take note of the approaches that speak to you and consider the strengths of those behind the communication. Is it empathy? Is it entertainment? How did that communicator discern that you’d be the appropriate audience?

• Take note of your behaviors and of how you interact with other brands as a consumer. Is your brand asking consumers to do something you wouldn’t do yourself?

• Remember that social media platforms are not just new frontiers for us to claim—ultimately, social media platforms were created and owned by consumers. Respect that fact.

Claire Grinton is a brand strategist and writer based in San Francisco. Find more from Claire or contact her at claire[dot]grinton[at]gmail.com.

Tags: community, Marketing, online marketing, Social Media, Strategy