“Social media” is the buzz phrase among most news organizations I work with. There is a pervasive “we’ve got to do something, even if we don’t fully understand it” mood.

That’s no excuse, however, for not taking time to determine what you are trying to accomplish and how you’ll get there.

Social media has both tactical and strategic aspects, and while related, they require different approaches, management and commitment.

At its core, social media enables sharing and provides a two-way feedback loop. In other words, you make it easy for readers to share your content in some form, they respond to you and you respond to them.

A couple of years ago, too many traditional news sites still made it hard for users to even e-mail story links to others. Now, except for some community newspapers that still see online as the enemy or a needless distraction, most newsrooms have an e-mail link, probably a Facebook or Twitter button, possibly a Digg button, and maybe an “Add This” or “Shareomatic” dropdown box that allows the user to post a link to dozens of sites.

(Internet and journalism consultant Amy Webb thinks those “Add This” and “Shareomatic” boxes give users too many choices and just confuse them, however.)

Most have a Facebook page, Twitter feed or both on which they post stories and links. Some also use those sites to seek story sources.

But pushing out news and finding sources are only tactical aspects. And even then, you need to know where your audience is and how various parts of it are getting their information.

For instance, Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen, in some of his latest research, says it’s a myth that college students “are enraptured by social media.” They associate Facebook with private discussions, and if they want more information about an organization they are less likely to go to its Facebook page than its official site, he says.

So tools to make sharing links through Facebook might be more effective than having a separate Facebook page.

The strategic side of social media is harder. It requires committing to a long-term engagement with your audience, and that takes planning and resources.

For instance, if you have a Facebook page or Twitter account, your readers may post questions.

But, remembering that the core of social media is feedback, who will monitor that and respond? (And who will monitor the responses?) One organization’s Facebook page recently had unanswered questions a month old, a sure turn-off for readers.

And everyone isn’t on Facebook and Twitter. There are many social networks, and the audience you are trying to reach may be hanging out elsewhere. What research are you doing to help find them?

Most newsrooms know the long-running angst over comments on stories and blogs, how much in resources to devote to monitoring, etc. Raise that exponentially if you really intend to use social media effectively.

Even having a reporter’s e-mail address listed can pose challenges.

What if the reporter writes a popular or controversial story and suddenly finds the inbox overflowing. How will time be set aside to answer those e-mails? What guidance do you have to help reporters and editors deal with such issues?

Likewise, what kind of response will there be? Canned feedback can bring even harsher response from those who see online communications in a more personal vein.

Then there are the “small” things, such as who can create an account on your organization’s behalf? Who will get the e-mail notifications such sites send out? Who will control the passwords, especially when people leave?

And what will you do if you find out someone is spoofing you?

Finally, what are your goals for using social media? Without them, how can you manage and know if you have reached them? How will you measure success? And what will you do if you aren’t successful – or if you are?

It’s easy to be overwhelmed, and I’ve seen some publishers and editors run away from social media as a result. Bad move.

Managers throughout the newsroom must understand social media’s details and be willing to monitor and engage with it as they would any other key part of their organization. The time for just letting someone else do it or throwing something out there to see what happens has passed.

(I have a one-page Microsoft Word form to help you make such detailed decisions and am happy to send you a copy if you e-mail me with the subject line “digital resources management form.”)

Doug Fisher, a former AP news editor, teaches journalism at the University of South Carolina and can be reached at fisherdj@mailbox.sc.edu or 803-777-3315.