These days, it seems every client asks their agency for social media ideas by the truckload. With an audience spending so much time on sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, it makes sense. However, before you jump in and start setting up profiles and updating statuses, you should ask your client questions of your own to encourage discussion and understanding.

What are your goals with social media?

Are your clients trying to reach new customers or engage with their core audience? Are they trying to establish a new channel for customer service? Did a board member read an article about Twitter and ask the CMO why they weren’t doing anything? You definitely will want to dig deeper to understand their motivation and objectives before you begin.

What value will your brand bring to your consumers' social experience?

Social media is not free. Engagement is the price of entry. If your client looks at Facebook or Twitter solely as another medium to broadcast messages, they’re missing the point (and the benefits). You must provide value either through content or conversation and hopefully both.

How will success be measured?

This goes back to your client’s social media goals. If they want to reach new customers, they need to understand it's the number of followers/fans that becomes the metric. If they are trying to engage their core audience, they should know it’s time spent with the brand and number of posts they leave. If it’s customer service, they need to be aware it’s the number of issues resolved using social media (or reduction in calls to the call center, etc).

How will people find you?

Build it and they will come. No, Facebook is not the field of dreams. Sure, a certain level of organic growth exists, but if your goal is to grow an audience, you will need a strategy for getting them to your fan page or Twitter stream. Look for integration points in your search in both traditional- and online-media campaigns.

These questions are in no way meant to discourage your clients from getting involved in social media. They are, however, meant to encourage discussion and to help them understand the same level of planning and strategic thinking that goes into executing any marketing campaign also should go into their social media approach.

After all, even though you might in some cases use up to 140 characters, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.