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Social Media - Feeling pressure to tweet, link, blog or friend?
OK I admit this is a bit of long one...
Everyone is talking about Social Media, in a relatively short time it has become part of our language and culture. There is so much to talk about and technology makes it easier and easier to communicate - hence the growth.
Many of my clients feel pressure to get on board and yet daunted by the prospect. It creates a little overwhelm to begin "tweeting" if you are unsure of the "Twitiquette". However, if you have not dipped your toe in the "Twittersphere" you are missing out on more than the rush of a good "twoosh" (a message that fits the maximum of 140 characters exactly -no editing).
If you are not already deeply entrenched or at least getting your feet wet you may be wondering if Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. can be the nirvana of marketing they are touted to be.
What is social media? I think the people who are using Twitter to clog the "Twitterverse" with what they had for breakfast just don't get how much more it is... http://tr.im/qyDc (best article on this subject).
Should your business dedicate resources to seriously include social media into your marketing mix? If you are willing to be a consistent contributor and approach it with authenticity - yes. However, keep that perspective on it- it is part of your marketing mix not the magic bullet in itself. Be an observer first, take it one bite at a time. At their most basic level, Facebook and Twitter build community. They are free online solutions to allow like-minded individuals to connect - particularly Twitter. Blogging adds valuable, searchable content and allows you to really establish your presence as an expert in your field, building loyalty and trust (and new prospects). Linked in builds your network. It is all good as long as it is all authentic.
Unlike the depth of content with room to expound on an idea, what I love about Twitter is its (searchable) power as an idea aggregator, forcing you to edit your thought and get to the point in 140 characters or less - the addiction is the link to the longer blog post (cc-c-an-'t s-s-topp rr-rr-ead-ing).
Twitter also has marketing value as a listening tool, monitoring customer's Tweets to hear what's being said about your industry, or specifically about your products or services. Or, once you have built a community of followers, it is one of the best (and most cost effective) ways to broadcast an exclusive offer to your very targetted audience.
Many companies build Facebook "Fan Pages," to market and connect with customers. Though it is not my personal taste
to be "friends" with a company, it is a good way to keep up with activities of a select group and connect with a community who are also interested in that group.
LinkedIn, is like a viral, interactive resume connecting you with other colleagues, and extending that networking circle to include access to their network of connections -and so on and so on....
So, if you haven't tasted the Kool-aid already, I suggest this path... start with a LinkedIn profile - it's easy, does not demand consistent attention and harmless as long as you manage who you welcome in.
Be a stalker on Twitter for a while and if you see obvious business-building benefits jump-in - but be ready to loose a few hours (or days) in the beginning as you immerse yourself in this orientation. Tools like Tweetdeck are vital to simlpify commnicating and to manage the vastness.
If you enjoy writing, honestly have the time to be a consistent contributor (at least twice a month) and can identify a niche in which you are an expert or at least passionate, start at blog. With the same start-up recommendation as Twitter - listen for a while first. Choose a very specific voice - your particular are of expertise or passion - and begin. Here is a great example of a relative newbie doing it extremely well (only at it for a little over half a year) http://solotravelerblog.com/ . I help others build and start blogs but have decided (at least for now) that I am not cut-out for the dedicated writing time beyond these weekly tips myself (particularly with a baby on the way : )
Many small B-to-B companies struggle enough with the resources to handle the basics of online marketing well so spending time and money to "dabble" in social media may not be right for you.
Before you dedicate resources to social media marketing:
- You should clearly define your objectives and have a website that is already your marketing hub, you control content on and is ready to be a springboard to benefit from the addition of Social Media. Not approached as a traditional static, brochure style website - your website should be used as a hub moving your content to where people are, embracing the social world. With careful planning, both can be accomplished at once with a blog-site (future tip topic).
- You know where they are, with analytics in place, at least beginning to understand where your market is coming from, what they are most interested in, and least interested in etc.
- You have already included or considered including Email marketing in the mix, seizing this cost effective vehicle to be top-of-mind with your existing permission based network of prospects, nurturing new customers, building trust and loyalty and generating repeat business.
Otherwise, focus your time and marketing dollars on your Website, search engine, analytics and email marketing first - build the foundation and then add the community and content benefits of Social Media to it.
At the end of the day, if you are thinking about
blogging, tweeting, or Facebook, be a spectator for a while first. Get a sense of what people in your niche are really talking about and how they communicate. Once
you decide to engage, your #1 directive should be "be authentic". Be
yourself or you will not only fail to engage, you will repel prospects
from your brand.
Now if you really begin to become addicted,(to quote @mathewi) "to be a complete social media expert I think you will need one of these T-Shirts: http://www.despair.com/somevedi.html "
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