What can R.E.M. Teach Us About Social Media?

While creative and business inspiration can literally come from anywhere--the essays of Montaigne, the lyricism of Rilke, the epiphanies of Scott Fitzgerald, the gentle beauty of Monet--who hasn't been inspired by their favorite music? As a discriminating fan of R.E.M. since my college days, it's not much of a stretch for me to find wisdom and inspiration for social media marketing and content creation in quite a few of their best or most interesting songs.

• Radio Free Europe: "Put that, put that, put that up your wall." If you don't post it and share your insights and ideas, you can't increase your personal and corporate visibility. As I've written before, plan your posts and even create an editorial calendar so you won't be wracking your mind for posts and tweets. When it comes to social media and marketing, increased market share only results from a consistent message and social presence.
• Talk About the Passion: In writing for the web, you must be passionate about your subject matter. "Write what you know," as Mark Twain said. And if you're passionate about a topic but are not quite an expert yet, study and learn all you can and then be sure to share what you've learned.
• Maps and Legends: Provide your readers with a road map for achieving their social media goals, along with the legend and lessons to help them get there. Be clear, concise and understandable. Write for your audience, one of the common sense tactics which never fails.
• All the Right Friends: Never forget that we're all in the business of social networking. Take the occasional break from creating content to give out a shout-out to deserving colleagues and friends by re-tweeting and highlighting their own original content. There aren't many more effective ways to solidify online alliances and friendships.
• Get Up: "Sleep delays my life." Never forget that your target audience is likely catching up on social media even until the late hours. As you plan your social media calendar, don't hesitate to post important updates after normal office hours. Your customers are paying attention, and so should you.

So, put on your favorite music, become even more inspired, and plan some winning social media content. Your audience will enjoy and learn from it, and you'll become even more of an authority than you already are. And who doesn't benefit from that?