I am often asked by people if they should be on Twitter or Facebook or have a YouTube channel or blog. Since I am not a fan of throwing darts with a blindfold on, I always ask them, "why do you want to do that?" I get such incredible answers that I decided to take the top three and share them.
1. Because Everyone Else Is.
This is by far my favorite answer. Don't get me wrong, I believe strongly in the use of integrated media in the context of a well-thought out marketing plan. But just to jump in the pool because you see everyone else is in there, without knowing how to swim or knowing anything about the water is not smart. Jim Sterne said in his book Social Media Metrics, "You do not want to blunder onto the scene without a clear idea of why you are there and what you want out of it."

Before you consider any social media at all as part of your marketing/promotions plan, you need to ask yourself these questions:

• What is the problem/opportunity we have that social media can solve?

• Do we know what the time commitment is and do we have the time and people to pull it off?

• Do we know where our people/fans are getting their information (or have we engaged in a well-planned listening program)?

• What value will it add to our organization/product?

2. Because It's Free.
There may be a monetary advantage to social media, but isn't your time worth money? Social media takes time, resources, and people to pull off. After you have listened to your fans, devised a plan and found which platforms will add value to your organization, you need to find out exactly how much time your plan will involve. Then, you need to find the people with the extra time to manage it. Then, you need to find the training for the managers. None of these are impossible tasks, but they take time. Do you have the time for thoughtful, effective engagement?

3. Because We Don't Want our Customers/Fans Saying Bad Things About Us.
This one always puzzled me. It's like the question, "If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, will it make a noise?" Just because you aren't there, doesn't mean people are talking about you. They are. And you can't control it. And for that matter, you don't want to control it. Social media experts all agree that engaging your critics, not silencing them, is one of the benefits of social media. Becoming a part of the conversation in a constructive, informative way gives you credibility. Going online to delete comments and refute critical information will just get you in trouble. The corporate world is filled with examples over the last couple years--just ask BP, Toyota, or Domino's Pizza. Have a plan for engaging critics online before you start.

What other incredible reasons have you heard for starting a social media campaign?