A Web 2.0 plan of attack

Since the beginning of last year, I've noticed a significant upswing in interest from the public sector wanting to learn how to implement and leverage social networks. I think the light bulb clicked on suddenly as government officials watched the 2008 presidential campaigns. In particular, people heard how Barack Obama's campaign was extremely effective in its use of social networking tools (thanks mostly to one of Facebook's creators, Chris Hughes).

When clients hire us to develop a comprehensive online strategy it involves:
1. Their websites (public and intranet)
2. Social networking presence (blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, email, mobile communications, etc.)
3. Managing the process efficiently and effectively.

The steps I advise them to take are:

1. Develop an understanding of how all of these tools work - who's using them, what purpose is being served, the different ways that specific agencies/departments use them.
2. See how each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses, and how they fit together in serving your overall strategies. The vast majority of people I speak to initially "don't get" how or why these tools are being used. Hire someone who understands the public sector and social media (like Technivista) to do a "Intro to Web 2.0" class.
3. Create a strategic plan involving a) integrating and aligning all online components together to support your mission/responsibilities, b) generate an action plan (what, how, who, when, metrics), c) do the money math (time, technology, potential cost-savings, new expenses, etc.).
4. Implement the plan in phases. Don't jump in all at once. Start with something simple in one area. Usually I recommend something for internal use only or a special events department. For a Twitter example see the City of Chicago - Mayor's Office of Special Events. A pretty good Facebook example is the City of North Charleston.
5. Monitor and track usage, feedback from users, and resource requirements.

While you get tremendous bang for your buck with this stuff, there are two common misconceptions to avoid:
Misconception #1 - Implementing these tools is virtually free.
Places that currently do this right find out there are associated costs in training, staff time, measurement/analysis tools, legal consultation, video production, technology management, cross-media coordination, public relations, and several other aspects to figure into the equation.
Misconception #2 - It's simple and easy to do.
These tools are spreading like wildfire and quickly turn into a major force to be managed and supported. In addition, new tools and functionality emerge (particularly in the mobile category). It gets complicated pretty quickly, especially as users and producers get more sophisticated and creative. (And the roles of users and producers get merged.)