I recently put a post on LinkedIn, “Too many organisations are starting with “How to” in social media, when they should begin by answering their “Why”? It seems that social media is in-undated with people, agencies and conferences telling organisations HOW TO: use social media, develop a strategy, engage with customers, create a Facebook page, start a blog, etc.

I obtained the following from Mashable (a top source for social media), when doing a general social media query:

– HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
– The 10 Stages of Social Media Business Integration
– 18 Online Productivity Tools for Your Business
– HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry
– HOW TO: Use a Start Page to Stay Organized
– 5 Tips for Creating a Successful Social Media Contest
– HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI
– HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs

As Simon Sinek advocates, “All organizations and careers function on 3 levels. What you do, How you do it and Why you do it. The problem is, most don’t even know that Why exists.” The same is true for social networking. Instead of asking “How to”, organisations should begin by asking themselves, “Why?”. Why social networking? Why do we want to engage with people? Why would fans want to engage with us? etc. This process helps organisations to understand and clarify their social networking purpose. For most companies there will be clear reasons, for others it may take more work. But companies that begin their social media activities with “Why”, will be better set to develop an appropriate social media strategy suited to their specific requirements, objectives and goals.

Has your company asked itself “Why”?