Focus on the Strategy instead of Jumping to the Tactics

Washington Metro launches aggressive social media effort

The first step to engaging in a productive social media dialogue is to listen, not to just hear or monitor what is being said. Only after listening and earning trust can engagement truly occur. "Aggressive" social media tactics can be interpreted as "interrupting" a conversation of which the person or entity is not invited. Creating a comprehensive engagement strategy aligned with the organization's mission, vision and values will lead to tactics by which the company will then be invited into the conversation by individuals. Once invited, the company must then produce a perceived value to the individual which will eventually result in both qualitative and quantitative results for both parties.