If you’re still tinkering around with social media to “see if it has any application” to your organization, you’re about 2 years behind already. The time for tinkering was 2008. But it’s never too late to start, so you need to get someone to help you put a plan in place now.

Chris Kieff nails it in a post today about the ROI of social media. Too many organizations assign an unpaid intern to their social media effort (zero investment) then complain that there’s no return on the investment.

In this case you get exactly what you pay for. Paying nothing for someone who understands the technology is foolish. It’s like hiring a mechanic to guide you to on the roads instead of a GPS.

If you haven’t begun using social media for your organization, what are you waiting for? I’m always willing to answer questions, no strings attached — and there are lots of other people out there who are answering the same kinds of questions.

The important thing is that you start making the investment, so you can start seeing the return.