It is easy to get wrapped up in all the things we want to achieve big-picture in social media. Often times, to succeed in getting buy-in for turning your social media campaign into a viable program and integrated into the business, you have to score some small wins to give senior leadership and those on the front lines a warm and fuzzy feeling.

When getting started in social media, you cannot dismiss and ignore an organization’s fears about social media engagement. Social media success is dependant upon a drastic change in corporate culture’s thinking and execution process. Already we have addressed five out of eight steps as defined by leading change management thinker, John Kotter – increasing the level of urgency, building the guiding team, establishing a relevant vision, communicating for buy-in and empowering action.

Now that urgency has been established, a team in place to lead, a relevant vision is established to guide the way, you are communicating for buy-in, and have empowered action, how do you find and create short-term wins?

1. Set and Communicate Measurable Objectives: First and foremost, set SMART objectives with the purpose of enabling control of your social media strategy, motivate workforce to achieve common goal and provide an agreed upon, consistent focus for all functions of the organization. SMART objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Ensure you have communicated these objectives to your entire organization. Think long-term goal, but don’t forget to include short-term wins that will get the ball rolling to securing social media as an integrated business function.
2. Establish Progress Reports: Stop the naysayers in their tracks, by informing your team, department and organization the status of your measurable objectives. Give those easy wins the limelight they deserve!
3. Build Momentum: Demonstrate how people are fulfilling the vision and resistance to change will begin to subside. Avoid focusing on only the stats of the objectives in the progress reports, but share the feel-good stories and relationship-building that is occurring.

In my previous life, my employer pumped up the workforce with the slogan, “Think Big, Act Small.” While I used to think that was hokey, I realized that it was the short-term wins that created the warm and fuzzy results that opened up new doors of opportunity and minds within senior leadership.

How are you finding, creating and communicating short-term wins? Please share your lessons learned.