In Mia’s most recent column, she reflects on the number of municipal elections that wrapped up last week and discusses how, no matter the size of your business, there are definite lessons to be learned from the various political campaigns and the way they used social media.

 She shares and expands on eight key lessons:

1. Be there
2. Strategy before tactics
3. Integrate digital and traditional communications
4. Pay attention
5. Target your efforts
6. Put the social in social media
7. Spend wisely
8. Don’t abandon your networks

 Mia writes: “Over the past few years, social media has had a transformative effect on politics, journalism, marketing and advertising, and public relations. No matter what your industry is, or the size of your business, you should be eager to harness the power of social networking to broaden your reach and thoughtfully engage with your audience. Chatter is happening online about your company and clients whether you participate or not, but by following these eight rules, you can become a valuable part of that conversation.”

Check out Mia’s column every Thursday in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.