Social Media Quiz

By Sherry Heyl, Chief Strategy Officer

Today's blog post seems to be motivated from what one would find in a Cosmo type magazine.

What is your social media score?

More importantly, do you and your peers agree on the importance of social media?

Now that social media has become mainstream, more and more people are aware that it affects and will continue to have a greater affect on business communications and processes.

However, that awareness seems to be divided between the haves (those who are aware of the implications of social media)  and the have nots (those who are not aware or are in denial) and then of course most people fall somewhere in the middle.

Are you and your peers on the same page? Here is your "Cosmo" test to share amongst your team. Next week I will share with you how your answers scored.

1. How much discussion is happening about your industry online?

a. I don't know
b. No discussion at all
c. A little discussion
d. Some discussion
e. Quite a bit of discussion
f. A lot of discussion

2. When researching information about clients, prospects, or competitors, how much time do you spend reviewing blogs or forums?

a. I never look at online blogs or forums
b. <10% of the time
c. 10% - 30% of the time
d. 30% - 50% of the time
e. 50% - 70% of the time
f. > 70% of the time

3. When reading a blog or forum about your industry, how often have you found your competitors contributing to the conversation?

a. Never read online blogs or forums
b. <10% of the time
c. 10% - 30% of the time
d. 30% - 50% of the time
e. 50% - 70% of the time
f. > 70% of the time

4. How concerned are you about what others will say about your company in an online community?

a. Not at all concerned
b.  A little concerned
c. Somewhat concerned
d. Quite a bit concerned
e.Very concerned

5.  What best describes your organization’s policies and guidelines for responding to negative comments about the organization on forums and blogs? 

a. Ignore it
b. Contact a lawyer
c. Contact the site administrator and ask to remove the comment
d. Contact the person who made the post in an attempt to resolve the issue
e. Publicly respond to the comment on the site
f.Other: ___________________________

6. What is your organization currently doing to monitor online conversations?

a. Nothing
b. Our PR agency handles that function
c. We use Google Alerts or other search engines, or blog monitoring tools
d. We monitor as well as join relevant online communities
e. We monitor as well as stay active in online communities, and are often alerted of relevant conversations by people in our network
f. Other: ___________________________

7. Choose each answer that describes how your organization encourages referral business online?

a. Email campaigns that can be “forwarded to a friend”
b. Encourage customers to write reviews online
c. Produces content such as videos or podcasts that can distributed throughout the web
d. Developed branded widgets that adds value to an online community
e. Created a thriving online social network for their customers
f. Other: ___________________________

8. How much does your organization review relevant on-line conversations prior to creating and launching a marketing campaign?

a. I don’t know
b. No review of on-line conversation
c. A little review of on-line conversation
d. Some review of on-line conversation
e. Quite a bit of review of on-line conversation
f. Very extensive review of on-line conversation

9. How does your organization distribute content throughout the web (select as many as applicable)

a. Not applicable
b. We don’t distribute content on-line
c. Email and SEO
d. Press Releases
e. Link exchanges
f. Throughout Social Networks   
g. Other: ___________________________

10. How relevant are online communities to your organization?

a. I don’t know
b. Not relevant at all
c. A little relevant 
d. Somewhat relevant
e. Quite a bit relevant
f. Very relevant

11. How many influential bloggers relevant to your industry has your organization developed relationships with?

a. Not applicable
b. I don’t know
c. 0
d. 1 - 5
e. 6 - 15
f. 16 - 25
g. <25

12. How many relevant online social networks is your organization strategically positioned in?

a. Not applicable
b. I don’t know
c. 0
d. 1 - 5
e. 6 - 15
f. 16 - 25
g. <25

13. How valuable is your message to your audience when positioned within an on-line community?

a. Not applicable
b. I don’t know
c. Not valuable at all
d. A little valuable 
e. Somewhat valuable
f. Quite valuable
g. Very valuable

14. What percentage of your company is participating within on-line communities on their own?

a. I do not know
b. 0%
c. 1% - 25%
d. 26% – 50%
e. 51-75%
f. More than 75%

15. What percentage of your company is participating within online communities on behalf of your organization?

a. I do not know
b. 0%
c. 1% - 25%
d. 26% – 50%
e. 51-75%
f. More than 75%

16. How comfortable does your organization feel about commenting on relevant blogs?

a. Not applicable
b. I don’t know
c. Not comfortable
d. A little comfortable
e. Somewhat comfortable
f. Quite comfortable
g. Very comfortable

17. How receptive do you feel your on-line communities, relevant to your industry, are to advertising or marketing messages?

a. Not applicable
b. I don’t know
c. Not receptive
d. A little receptive
e. Somewhat receptive
f. Quite receptive 
g. Very receptive

18. In what ways has your organization enhanced accessibility to the online community? (select as many as applicable)

a. Not applicable
b. I don’t know
c. RSS on our webpage or press room
d. Chat availability
e. Corporate blogs or forums
f. Branded on-line community
g. Other: ___________________________