Put the hats and noisemakers in the closet and pull out the blogs, Twitter chats and Facebook walls. 2012 is here and it’s time to talk social media.

But we’ve got good news. It will be easier this time around. We’ve got the new ebook, 30 Ideas for your 2012 Social Media Plan, a concoction of compiled content that brings forth the most useful and popular topics of 2011. This will gear you up for great social strategy in 2012 so you can go beyond the grab-bag of tactics and craft a smart, integrated plan.

With this arsenal of 2011 content in hand, we’ve pulled out 30 social media ideas for your 2012 plan. Here they are.

Ideas for Strategy

• Idea 1: Socialize your culture, not just your technology.

• Idea 2: Write up a plan.

• Idea 3: Cultivate long-term relationships.

• Idea 4: Automate the boring stuff.

• Idea 5: Calculate the value of your social customer.

Ideas for Training

• Idea 6: Require certification.

• Idea 7: Require extra certification.

• Idea 8: Share the vision.

• Idea 9: Double-check for compliance.

Ideas for Content Creation

• Idea 10: Craft a content strategy.

• Idea 11: Go beyond text.

• Idea 12: Fill in the topic gaps.

• Idea 13: Build community relationships through your content.

Ideas for Listening

•  Idea 14: Pay attention to people talking about your brand.

• Idea 15: Gather competitive intelligence.

• Idea 16: Monitor industry chatter.

• Idea 17: Lead the conversation.

• Idea 18: Generate leads and sales.

• Idea 19: Listen for customer-service opportunities.

• Idea 20: Take the heat off in a crisis.

• Idea 21: Tweak your advertising campaigns.

Ideas for Engaging

• Idea 22: Surprise and delight your fans.

• Idea 23: Crowdsource fresh ideas.

• Idea 24: Avoid common etiquette pitfalls.

• Idea 25: Deal graciously with detractors.

• Idea 26: Stir up a little controversy.

Ideas for Measuring

• Idea 27: Measure Share of Conversation.

• Idea 28:  Measure Adjusted Engagement Level.

• Idea 29: Measure your level of influence.

• Idea 30: Make your data memorable.

If you apply these ideas  —  whether you’re just starting out, honing in on the craft or looking to excel forward — 2012 could be your best year yet.

Interested in learning more about some of these ideas? Check out the eBook where there are details on each and every one. And feel free to share your thoughts here!

Tags: engagement, Listening, measurement, Training