• by Bryan Boettger , May 14, 2013

When all is said and done, Dean Vernon Wormer had the best advice: "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

We're not all Flounders. And, considering we work in advertising, we might be more drawn to Bluto. But it's Dean Wormer who brought social media the best advice. It's advice we would all do well to heed as we strategize, manage and promote our social media presence.

Fat

So much of what we do is fat and bloated. We carry more followers than we need because we are enamored with high numbers. We post more content than we should because we love our own messages. We participate on more platforms than needed because we don't want to miss an opportunity.

But, we shouldn't be afraid to get a little skinnier. Shed those followers that aren't providing value. Trim the content our audiences don't want. Drop the platforms where we can't find audiences.

Volume does not beget volume. Sometimes, lessening what you do and honing in your focus can invigorate your audience more and provide you better reach through higher levels of sharing.

Drunk

We social media marketers sure are prone to drunkenly embarrass ourselves. We think we look so good and everyone will want to be with us. We talk too much, and post when we shouldn't.

The people we are trying to go after already have friends. We might be confident, but don't get them drunk-confident and forget you have to work twice as hard to get the attention of someone who is already surrounded by friends.

And make sure to do it by listening, not by talking excessively like a drunk fool. Listen. Ask questions. Be there for your target. Then say the right thing at the right time to impress and connect.

Stupid

Too often social media is done without intelligence. We don't do enough research. We don't check over our work. We act without thinking.

You could do a post about Father's Day with a shout-out to fathers, but did you do some legwork and find out how your brand is connected to fathers? You could wish everyone a happy first day of summer, but did you research a unique fact that ties directly to your brand?

Sometimes, all you need is a few Google searches to up your game. A little bit of studying your own analytics. If we aren't utilizing the rich analytics available to us in every social media platform, we truly are as stupid as Flounder.Don't be a Flounder.

Honorable Mention

While Dean Wormer definitely takes the top Social Media Quote prize, a few honorable mention quotations for you as well…

"Forget it, he’s rolling." -- As much as I advocate thoughtfulness, sometimes you just luck out and things just work. If you luck into something that is working, roll with it. Rally behind it, and make the most of it.

“Seven years of college down the drain” -- No matter how much you study up on social media, it’s never going to be enough. Things change too quickly. Always be studying up.

“Do you mind if we dance with your dates?” -- Be on your toes. There’s always another brand trying to steal the attention of the same people you are going after.

By the way, if you’ve never watched "Animal House," you surely have enough reason to now. After all, you don’t want to be put on double secret probation.