As social media becomes more integrated with PR services, the need for mapping activity to strategic objectives, efficient tactical workflow, controls to ensure on-brand messages will continue to grow.

In a recent #SoloPR Twitter chat, we talked a bit about approaches and tools used by some community members.  While a few participants voiced their experiences, a lack of comment by many (plus a few questions by others) suggest there’s room on the table to lay some pieces out.

Birthed from the editorial calendar, the conversation (or social media) calendar can be instrumental for both the planning and tactical aspects of social media planning. Like many techniques, there’s no hard and fast “right way” to develop one. But there are several components many consider to be essential. I’ll list them here to get your brain going, then share more detail below.

1. Objectives
2. Vision
3. Voice, Style, Tone
4. Tools
5. Channels
6. Planning Content
7. Logistics
8. Closing The Loop

Objectives

If the scope of your client consulting arrangement includes social media, it’s critical to understand how that activity supports broader business objectives. Without knowing whether your piece of the pie is expected to serve as a preemptive move in the event of a crisis, or as a means to nurture open communication with brand advocates, you can’t be effective at your job.

Vision

It may sound hokey, but I think it’s important to establish an operating vision for the social and community-building work consultants do. Without a common agreement on vision between you and your client, it may be difficult for them to understand your recommendations for content. Be careful not to assume.

Voice, Style, Tone

Although the messages you’ll develop will be online and not a printed element you can hold, the import of how the brand is perceived is just as important. Ask for your client’s brand bible or style guide early in your planning. Learn accepted language, terms, tone (how it’s said), voice (what’s said), and style. A bank, for instance, may lean toward a conservative tone and voice, and avoid statements that might be construed as commitments or guarantees. A children’s clothing retailer might prefer to cover topics ranging from child rearing to choosing day care facilities, and might want to do so in a friendly, approachable tone.

Tools

Some of our community members reported liking Sprout Social for setting up work flow and identifying audience prospects. Others prefer Hootsuite’s feature set, and some folks like CoTweet.  All three (and there are others) offer free versions to try out while you determine which best suits your needs. The learning curve with each can take several days to truly grasp all features, so be sure to give yourself some time in order to make an informed decision. Plus, getting comfortable with a tool means you’re more apt to actually use it once you pull the trigger with your assignment.

Channels

When digging through your client’s brand bible to gather intel for voice, tone, and style, you’ll likely come across customer profiles or personas (if not, be sure to ask for them), or any demographic/psychographic research that may have been conducted. These things can help you determine which channels – from Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and on – might be where your client’s ideal customers hang out.

Planning Content

Your client may be able to list some industry or trade publications which serve as information resources for them. Through some research, you should be able to identify competition and allied interests, and ferret out blogs, media companies, research, and other useful sources of content. Whether it’s appropriate to link to this content, re-broadcast tweets and other messages, or use the information as a springboard for new original writing, consider developing a broad mix of content types and sources. Google Reader can be used to collect and share RSS feeds from target sites, and Diigo or Delicious can be used to tag and catalog good finds for reference later.

Logistics

Who is the account owner? Do both the client and the consultant know the log-on credentials? Are the volume of messages so high as to warrant shifts or teams for updates and responses? What’s the ideal rate of frequency for sharing links versus carrying on spontaneous conversation? Logistics concerning the accounts to the firing of messages needs to be considered. It’s likely the process may need some fine-tuning so don’t expect to get it perfect right out of the gate.

As for the work product of all of these steps, I’ve seen conversation calendars in the form of Excel documents and Google docs. When combined with a tool like HootSuite, even shared Google Calendars can serve as a means to keep client and consultant stakeholders apprised of planned content. Another tool I’ve tried to capture dates and tasks is Tom’s Calendar which uses a Gantt-style approach to mapping out information.

Closing The Loop

Concentrate too much on the messages and activity that originates with you, it may be easy to overlook – or underestimate the attention needed – the return loop. Who is responsible for following up on incoming messages? Is there an escalation policy? What about routinely evaluating analytics to determine performance for ideal time of day, popular content, etc?

Planning and managing social media as part of a company’s overall communications efforts requires a lot of research, thinking, writing, analysis, and coordination. A conversation calendar can be a useful tool for you and your client when care is taken to cover the groundwork recommended above.

What would you add to a social media conversation calendar? Kellye has a couple of examples in one of her PR/social media presentations posted on SlideShare (see slides 15-16).  Other good reads include posts from: Arik Hanson, Ian Smith, Debbie Williams, and Joan Damico (be sure to check out her sample spreadsheet).

1. How much “social media” presence will you have during the holidays (btwn Christmas & New Yr). Same as always or taking break? #solopr

2. What do you use for accounting software? Looking to switch at year end — Pros/cons? #solopr

3. How do you organize biz cards/new biz leads? organize leads, business cards, etc.? Programs used? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

1. What tool, if any, do you use for online bookmarking/sharing? #solopr

2. If low-profile prospect asks for references from your high profile clients, & you don’t want to share contact info, what to do? #solopr

3. Will you send a snail mail, ecard, enewsletter or other holiday greeting? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

1. When you build a blogger outreach program and compile lots of info (Alexa Rank, Page Rank, etc.) how much do you share w/client? #solopr

2. Can Klout scores be a way to help clients show competency/authority? #solopr

3. Have you been following the Netflix saga? How would you have advised a company to behave differently? #solopr

4. What should a company that wants to break apart its business do from a PR/branding perspective? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

1. We’ve seen posts lately from @MackCollier, @spinsucks and @ericamallison on this lately: do you post your prices online? #solopr

2. @KeithTrivitt of @prsa reminded PR pros today not to use the earthquake in unrelated pitches. When do current events make sense? #solopr

3. Reported that StumbleUpon drives half of all social media traffic to sites (with Qs around quality of traffic). Experiences? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

1. What steps do you take to help balance family and work? #solopr

2. @jgombita asks, What is your main impetus for participating in Twitter chats like #solopr?

3. Today on the blog, I say it’s time to dive into Google+ – bit.ly/oICB4z – have your clients asked about it yet? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

1. Can you have a personal profile, as in private FB/Twitter accts? Can u post about a competitor’s product if on personal acct? #solopr

2. How do you assess prospective client interest and decide to pursue or pass on the opp? #solopr

3. What other cues do you look for re: prospects before you run for the hills? #solopr

4. In the past couple days, a political figure has been accused of buying Twitter followers. Is this ever a good idea? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

1. Post by @vanessacamones said “Say No to Silicon Valley’s Bully” http://ow.ly/5y1Xv re: M. Arrington- thoughts re: blacklisting? #solopr

2. Do you think that PR and social media generated internally are most often more successful than external contractors? #solopr

3. What’s the best thing a young brand can do when starting a new regimen involving traditional PR and social media? #solopr

4. Dropbox changed their terms of service, giving them sweeping rights to access your docs (h/t @cloudspark) http://blog.dropbox.com/?p=846 They also have had security issues. If you use, have you changed? Other tools to rec? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that our previous transcript service is down, so this week’s transcript is in reverse chronological order. We’re working to find an easier to read format.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

While some people rush in because it’s their job to be among the first to try a new tool (they know who they are), others are just curious, afraid of being left behind, or looking for bragging rights (why else do people wait in line at the Apple store to be among the first to have the latest gadget?).

As they did with Google Wave, Google+ upped the “cool” ante by being accessible only by invite. Thus, as is human nature, everyone who can get past the velvet rope wants to try it out.

Need to Know Basis

But if you wait, you have a chance to learn from others who have kicked the tires. And often, as was the case with Wave and Buzz, a new tool or service completely runs out of steam within a month or so.

For example, the last thing the social media squad got excited about was Empire Avenue. It’s a network/game where you “buy and sell shares in your friends” with virtual money. So, popular people become worth more, and you can sell shares of your less popular friends to invest in the more popular ones. I’m not kidding. Many social media folks were buzzing over Empire Avenue a couple months ago (apparently it was fun), but most people have grown bored with it.

How Much Is Enough?

If you’re in a position of advising a typical client about social media (one that isn’t trying to establish itself as a social media thought leader), you’ll want to become familiar with the basics of an uber-hyped tool like Google+. Just learn enough about it so that you can speak intelligently about its pros and cons if asked, but there’s no reason you have to become an overnight expert (and I mean this literally – there are many among the social media-obsessed who stayed up all night on Google+ the day it was launched).

Becoming familiar can mean poking around with it a bit, if you have the opportunity, or taking a look at some of the many overviews and tutorials that pop up (see list below). If a new tool truly has staying power, you’ll continue to hear about it for many weeks after its launch and trusted sources (like Solo PR Pro!) will tell you when it’s a must-have for your toolbox.

The Skinny on Google+

Most users of Google+ are somewhat pleasantly surprised, because it has a clean, intuitive design that makes it easy to use its basic features with little to no learning curve. It also has some more robust capabilities – like the ability to have a multi-user video chat, called a “Hangout,” – the implications of which are just beginning to be explored by those that are part of the beta test.

What remains to be seen is whether the average social media participant (let alone the masses) has the bandwidth to learn and participate in yet another network. If Google had brought us this tool two years ago or more, it would be much easier to imagine users substituting it for Facebook, Twitter, etc. Now, are we too entrenched and committed (due to our extended networks on these other tools) to change our behavior? Only time will tell.

Fore more in-depth coverage, some of my favorite posts and tutorials to date on Google+ include:

• Google+: An Introductory Tour, a video by Jason Falls, offered for free on his Exploring Social Media membership site
• First Look Google+, by Valeria Maltoni, Conversation Agent
• An introduction to Google+ (YouTube), by Nathan Olivarez-Giles, LA Times technology reporter
• Why Google Has the Hammer To Make Businesses Use Google Plus, by Jay Baer, Convince and Convert
• I really wanted to hate Google Plus, by David M. Scott, Web Ink Now (it’s funny, because it’s true!)

It’s important to note that Google+ is being updated constantly, so some of the early reviews you see have some inaccuracies now (in particular, Jason Falls’ point that you have to be “in” a circle to limit your posts to that circle is no longer the case).

A Toe in the Water

As Solo PR Pros, we all have too much to do and not enough time. At this point, a basic understanding of what is included in Google+ — as detailed in the links above – is all you really need to know.

For those who are curious and would like to take a peek, I have a limited number of invites available that I’m happy to share with the Solo PR Pro community. To keep your email address private, please use this form to request one.

What are your thoughts about yet another network? How do you decide when it’s time to dip a toe in the water, and when it’s time to jump in? Have you had a chance to try out Google+, and if so, what are your impressions? Let us know in the comments!

1. Have you used eLance or similar sites to find *subcontractors*? Success/fail? #solopr

2. What is the best way to enter PR competitions without revealing confidential information of your client? #solopr

3. Are you currently using a group-oriented auto-sharing tool for blog posts? Pros and cons? Do they have value for clients? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that our previous transcript service is down, so this week’s transcript is in reverse chronological order. We’re working to find an easier to read format.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.