When businesses get ready to start playing in the social media space, their expectations can vary. Some might expect social to immediately open the door for a deluge of new business (which could happen, I suppose). Others just do it because everyone else is doing it; and hey, they want to sit at the “cool kids” table, dangnabbit.

But having realistic expectations about what you’re getting out of social is important; especially if you have a board (or a surly CMO) you need to report to.

So, what, really, should corporate expectations of social be?

Here are ten tips that might help:

1)      Social media is a soft sell. It’s a way to reinforce your brand, subtly, to a largely millennial and tech-savvy audience. It’s not going to be a huge sales driver – but it’s just like traditional cable advertising. It’s a way to get in front of people, on the reg.

2)      Social media is a way to interface with and harness the power of natural brand advocates; these, generally, are existing customers and internal stakeholders.

3)      If you push product, you can scare your audience away. Tell stories, don’t make sales pitches.

4)      Proving ROI will be an absolute nightmare. Social media networks don’t speak to one and other and there are no consistent standards across products. Defining KPIs will be a double nightmare. Everyone has a different expectation of what conversion, engagement, etc. really means. At the end of the day, it’s about how many people you touch, and how often. Showing sales funnel conversions? That’s good too, but harder to prove.

5)      Google+ will be important, in the future, due to tip #4. Google created this catchall network to replace all those other social media networks that refuse to talk to one and other. You can do all the things, and have consistent reporting metrics. The Achilles heel here is adaption.

6)      If you’re doing it right, you will touch millions of people every month. Possibly tens of millions. The price will be whatever you’re paying your social media manager plus the cost of the software they need.

7)      Start tracking, early, and document everything. Be sure to take screenshots of “meatier” transactions, as these can lend qualitative support when it comes to reporting time.

8)      You’re going to have slow days. There are going to be days where no one shares or ReTweets. It stinks, but it’s the nature of the beast.

9)      There are tons of social networks out there but there are a sacred seven you should start with. In order of importance: Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, Facebook. It’s good to experiment and iterate with other networks, but those are good staples.

10)   Look at quotas, not schedules or calendars. Calendars are good backbones, if you want to talk about the World Cup and ear-biting like everyone else. But being fluid, and posting in real-time, is key.

Well, that’s it for now.  Happy Monday!