Your company's first step with social media? Listening. (Listening is also known as "social media monitoring.) And 90 days from now, guess what? You'll still be listening! Still monitoring. A year from now? Still listening! Oh, you'll be doing more than just listening in a year -- maybe you'll be interacting and energizing, too! But ongoing listening is at the very heart of your corporate communication strategy. In fact, your first 30 days of organized social media monitoring should lead the way for developing a much tighter, stronger, and effective organizational communication strategy. When I work with companies on developing social media strategy and communication policies, I recommend that the company listen first for 30 days. By this, I mean that someone in each business unit (HR, Customer Service, Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Finance, etc.) needs to first learn the basic how-to's of monitoring internet chatter -- and then set about to the task of listening for at least 30 days. After these structured 30 days, we can meet again to discuss what we've been learning. By listening first and noting comments and trends along the way, an organization is in a better position to map communication strategy and policy. I've only recently used the term -- "listen until it hurts...and beyond". While the first 30 days of organized, strategic listening can enormously expand organizational learning about customers and markets -- what if the company listens for 30 days and only hears good news -- or no news? Keep listening. Listen until it hurts...and beyond. After 30 days, one of the questions I ask is, "What have you been hearing online about your brand that you don't like?" Often, I'll hear about a well-intentioned employee who is responding inelegantly to customers and prospects in social media channels. That can be painful -- but this pain helps a company uncover key policy points -- who are the company spokespeople? What is an appropriate tone and image for responding in social media channels? I might also hear about a chronic online brand complainer -- noisy, irritating, negative. How do we deal with online brand haters? But I also might hear clients say, "Nothing. We haven't heard anything bad. So we're good." Hey -- keep listening! Listen until it hurts...and beyond. PS -- How your organization responds to negativity can be a defining moment for your brand. Watch for the pain. Be vigilant. Pain is not a nice friend, but pain can be your very good and helpful friend!