Amidst all the talk around, well, talk, it’s important to remember that a brand strategy working through social media may be a complete MacGuffin.

Most social media brand engagements, after all, follow similar strategy guidelines as any new web or application presence. It’s going to where the people are, understanding what the brand’s role there can be, and then implementing it using tactics borrowed from a range of media, including television, Web development, radio, screenwriting, and simply watching what people are doing in that environment.

After having gone through  the years of Widgets as the next big thing (which they continue to be a valuable part of a marketing mix), social media is still important for brands to understand; the same thing Jakob Neilsen was trying to get across in 2000 (when discussing Web conventions): People will likely be more familiar with every other site than they are yours.

It’s all about the portable Web.

Now, brands have the opportunity to program for all these other sites, services, and platforms: and engage. To bridge offline with online, relationships and devices. Call it Widgets. Call it Social. Call it Mobile. They’re all important channels to have your brand engaged in because people are there, making decisions and looking for ways to express themselves without knowing programming.

How can your brand use these channels to maximize exposure, awareness, and drive revenue? That’s why you’d hire a strategist like me.

Related posts:

1. Social Media Use: Not For Everyone
2. The Three Colorful Circles of Social Media Strategy
3. Four Critical Social Media Readiness Questions to Ask First
4. Social Media Strategy