Ready for some social networking strategy for 2012? Terrific! Yesterday we looked into the crystal ball for social networking to January 1st, 2013, in order to help you gain a better perspective on what is coming up in the next year. Today we discuss how to actually prepare for 2013 with a social networking strategy.

Social Networking Strategy Session

First, since mobile is going to be a huge part of the growing trend in social media, it is time to re-evaluate the mobile blog.

This includes me because I removed my mobile site for this blog about three months ago since it was slowing down my site. I will be looking at some different options over the next few months and will keep you apprised.

Tip #1: Check your Google Analytics to see how many visitors use a mobile device to check out your site.

Second, start creating content. The vast majority of social networking users are just that: users. They do not create. They do not add. They just are. It is easy to be a critic, responder, and curator. That is the easy part of social networking in my opinion.

The hard part is to actually create useful and actionable content that has value to your network. As I approach my 600th blog post in the next few weeks, I can tell you that there are days where I do more research than writing as I attempt to figure out the age-old social networking question: What the heck should I talk about?

The reality is that content creation for me is a 24/7 business. The whiteboard in front of my computer always has a list of topics for me to write. When I am out and about, I never know when inspiration will hit for the next great blog post. The blog creation process is also one of the things that really excite me about blogging. (Note: Let me know if you need help with your blog and/or social networking content.)

I generally think, “What can I create that is so exciting it will encourage users to contact me about my services, sign up for my email list, or click on the banner(Hint!)?”

In fact, I just hired an editor who will check my blog posts every day to make sure my grammar is up to par. I can focus more on what to create and less on the writing itself.

For me, this is an investment well worth the time and energy. I can not guarantee that every post will be perfect, but I want my content to convey the message I have as clearly as possible in the shortest possible time.

Tip #2: Write down your blog ideas in one or two central locations. You might not turn them all into posts, but you can always use these ideas for your gem posts!

Third, when you create content you want people to actually see what you write. Driving traffic is one of the easiest, but possibly hardest, part of building a blog. With all of the different options available it is hard to figure out which ones actually work and which just stink to the high heavens! You need quality traffic to build your business online.

After all, every business has that secret dream of a viral blog post, video, or tweet that changes the face of their business.

The big question is how to make this a reality?

While I address a lot of this in previous posts, there are a few things I would like to add here.

For example, when you want people to share your content the easiest way to accomplish this is to share theirs. Whether it is a tweet, share, or email blast, reciprocity is huge.

Additionally, make the darn thing interesting enough for people to share. I write the draft for this post at 11:30 p.m. half asleep and the words are flowing out of me because I think they are valuable. If you can not write something of value with your eyelids drooped down ready to shut, it probably should not be published and has an even lower chance of fulfilling your viral dreams.

Tip #3: Stop focusing on making your posts go viral. Instead, find partners who you can make their posts go viral. They will love you for it!

With the new year approaching, I recommend that you take some time and figure out how you can effectively use social networking for 2012. You will be amazed at the social networking strategy you create that just “rocks the casbah!”