Quite some time ago, a question about social media was posted on Linked In regarding the type of person who would make the best Social Media Evangelist. Ever since then, I’ve been thinking a great deal about the risks involved in having this “Evangelist” position.

While I do think having a social media person (whether its their main position or not, really depends on the scope of the company) is a good idea for many companies, I wonder how these companies will cope with staff turnover. If one person becomes the draw to the blog or Twitter account, what happens when that person leaves? Will the effectiveness of the strategy be maintained when someone else steps into that position? Does the Twitter account remain with the company, or with the individual? (This will be clear if the account is CompanyABC vs. Bob_Smith).

I think this is something that companies may run into over the next few years unless they’ve approached the account carefully from the beginning. If all parties understand from the onset, some of these hurdles can be side stepped.

At the risk of being a broken record — plan for it!

I recommend having a look at the original question and just what some people had to say — some of the answers are truly great.