5 old-school journalism lessons for social media

Now, social media inhabits my days and my dreams, but I haven’t completely left the news world behind.

There are plenty of lessons I’ve taken from my reporting days that help me in the social media world. Here are five:

1. Good writing is good writing.

It all starts with the fundamentals. Put your commas in the right places, and use periods (or, dammit, emoticons if you must). Capitalize the beginning of your sentences, and use proper grammar (or at least understand why you aren’t). With very few exceptions, you can still speak in a brand’s “voice” without eschewing good writing tenets.

2. Start your morning with a budget (planning) meeting.

At a daily newspaper, the day starts with a budget meeting to run down the potential stories for the next edition. These meetings allow everyone to check in and discuss all angles of a story.

The way I’ve seen social content work best is when it can adapt quickly. Some brands need long lead time for legal approval, but when you’re able to work on a daily, ad hoc basis, social content can gain more attraction.