From my bedroom window, I can see the Snoqualmie River rushing by.  It's comforting to know that it's always there, always moving.  Today it made me think about the world of social media is similarly rushing, moving past at a rapid pace. 

You may be standing on the riverbank, dipping your toe in, wondering if it's safe to plunge in.  You have a couple of strategies available: 1) you could crack open a beer and put your inner tube in, floating along wherever the river takes you, or 2) you could get in your canoe with a friend and paddle with purpose.  I would suggest that the "tubing" social media strategy might be more fun, but you could get stuck in the weeds.  If you're tubing, you're coasting around with social accounts all over the place, unmonitored or robo-monitored. You've got a bunch of random social tools on your website, but they're not coordinated and don't work together.  Tubers also get caught by surprise when rapids crop up...what about a new technique or social tool? Wish we'da known about that...

With your canoe, you can make a plan, and steer your way through the rough patches.  You're using teamwork to direct your efforts while riding the current.  You're sitting upright, so you can see the rapids ahead and plan for them.  You've decided what you want out of the experience, and can move to shore when you need to regroup.

So go ahead, plunge your brand into the social media river...just don't forget your paddles.