Yesterday, over a lunch meeting with some friends and media colleagues, we started getting a bit philosophical about social media marketing and how companies are not only beginning to embrace it, but how they’re budgeting, implementing, and integrating this type of media internally as part of their overall marketing strategy.

One of the questions that came up: 

Does a company really need senior level involvement or outside help to execute social media marketing, or can it be done internally by a team of interns?

Interesting question.  The short answer is, yes and yes.

In my opinion, the mistake many companies make in leaping into social media marketing is that it’s all about having a Twitter and Facebook page.  Well my friends, if this is all social media marketing means to you, by all means, have your interns go to town.  But to me, social media marketing is so much more than that.

Reaching your target audiences where they live online is much more than how you’re represented in social networks.  Tapping into the power of influencers, bloggers and taste makers who specialize in your cause or subject matter is something that is a bit of a talent, as there’s so much clutter and competition with getting messages and your call to action heard.  If that’s something your intern can do, more power to you.  However, sometimes it’s better to have a strategic game plan in targeting where you’re brand is represented, how consumers will engage, and the likelihood they will spread the word.

To use a word that I loathe (only because everyone seems to be using it lately), you also have to be careful not to disturb the ecosystem of fans and consumers communicating with one another.  It’s a delicate balance between two way sharing and brand communications.

The name of the game is subtlety and tone when you enter a community, and if a brand is going to be a bull in a china shop, the end result may be leaving a bad taste in your target consumer’s mouth… and there is such a thing as negative word of mouth and it can be just as powerful (see our earlier post on What Goes Around Comes Around).  So again, it’s important to understand the nuances of the communities you enter and how to best represent your brand.  And in doing so, you may want to consider who you’re entrusting with your brand representation.

Strategically speaking, it’s always smart to make sure social media is integrated with your overall media and marketing mix– leveraging the message and understanding the audience and how they interact with each platform. Is this something an intern should be managing?  Maybe, maybe not.  But from a day to day execution standpoint, they can absolutely have a role in updating content and making sure your audience is engaging with your brand and content through social channels.  From a strategic standpoint, it might be wise to have specialists involved.

To me, social media marketing can and should be implemented in house, but one should never forget how important it is to be relevant, contextual and non-intrusive.

Bloggers, fans and consumers are passionate about their causes and their interests.  If a company is going to get an invitation to that party, they want to make sure they’re a gracious guest.  So just keep in mind who’s attending… and how well they’ll mingle.