- Image by luc legay via Flickr
If you’re a business owner, do you have a social media presence yet? Set up your Twitter account, added a shiny new company blog and joined Facebook? How about a Squidoo page or a Ning community? Networking on LinkedIn? Got them all on your checklist? No?
GOOD.
Despite what you might hear, you don’t need a presence on every single social media network or community.
Contrary to popular belief, social media is not the be all and end all to your business worries. It’s not the one-fit-catches-all solution that will bring you endless streams of revenue and profit.
It is a powerful medium to spread your message and engage with your customers – but your customers need to be there first, old and new.
It is a hugely cost-effective medium when compared to traditional promotional and marketing spend, but you need to invest a lot of time to make it work. Time can be just as expensive a commodity as a media campaign.
Ask yourself who your core audience is. Are they the early adopters that would use social media much like boxers would use mouth pieces? Do they fall within the key users of the mediums you’re looking at? If not, why waste time in that arena? Why try and spread a message to people with closed ears? Even the most silver-tongued persuader will have a hard time if he can’t speak sign language.
By all means, open your business up to the strengths and opportunities that social media can offer. But open up the right doors – make sure your business is the key that fits.
Your business survives because your customers say yes. But sometimes it’s good to say no too. No?
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Twitter: ariherzog
It's frustrating reading so-called expertise sites claiming businesses should be registering on every social networking site. Hogwash. You provide great relief.
I'd edit one part; you wrote, "Ask yourself who your core audience is" as a means of going where they are. I'd argue you should ask your audience where they want you to go. Just because you have an audience who uses Facebook doesn't mean they want to interact with you there.
It is actually nice to hear someone with my sentiments. Although I do have a Facebook account and I do have a twitter account, I don't really mix the two up that often and it is not meant for anything other than I like doing it. If someone happens on one of my sites, cool. If not, then fine too.
It's what works best for you that's the important thing. Sometimes it seems like we're told to forget this, when we should be remembering each medium's strength and why we chose it in the first place.
Great point, Ari. Yes, you need to be where they are, but just as importantly you both need to be there together.
Balderdash! I have my home business set up nice and neatly on Geocities and I'm just waiting for my customers to come rolling in.
I kid, of course. I'm constantly amazed how many posts like this (you know, the ones from people who know what they're talking about?) offer up wonderful advice for social media marketing that could just as easily apply to good old fashioned communications and marketing.
If you're going to do an ad buy, wouldn't you expect to do some research on what publications or tv channels your target audience consumes? If you're sending a press release, don't you try to identify the journalists who give a rat's ass about your subject matter (actually, I guess this one isn't as hard and fast. But we all agree it should be, right?)?
Social media is not some comprehensive entity that one is either invested in or not. Social media are a suite of tools that share some characteristics but are inherently different media. They attract different audiences and serve different purposes.
Geocities? Man, now there's a blast from the past! And I want to get in on this "hogwash" and "balderdash" phrase malarkey that you and Ari are having – it sounds like a blast!
Valid points, Joe (they always are from you, good sir). Of course you need to do your research – the days of throwing everything at the wall and hoping some sticks is long gone, regardless of what medium you're looking at.
Funny you mention that about the PR/journalism thing – but that's another post…
I am relieved to hear you say this! My business has been all word of mouth – no advertising & no internet presence. It is a bit embarrassing to say that out here. But my clients aren't out here and never cared. Yes business and referrals still do happen offline!!
Now that I am ready to stop just consulting and create a business I clearly need an internet presence. Figuring out what that looks like is a big challenge and I cannot do it all. I am actually glad I skipped the whole traditional website thing – I am clear it would have made no difference given my business model. This is the right time to be out here because these are the right tools for my business. It is already enabling me to enhance what I offer to my existing clients.
Social media, traditional media, old-school media, new media – they're all terms that have been buzzwords at some time or other. Word-of mouth is still (IMO) the best form of advertising around. As you prove. Enhance that with the right media and you're on a great path.
I beg to differ. It's not hogwash. Some "gurus" recommend to sign up with every social sites because that strategy still work right now. Social sites are still at their infancy. Even strategy as mature as search marketing is still prone to game by unscrupulous marketers.
Flooding social sites with links are still going to send quite some traffic. I know this for sure because I've studied how that works.
But I bet that will soon become obsolete.
With that, marketers who believe in participation and focus on value always struggle to find more time so it helps to prioritize. For me, Twitter, Facebook, and two forums are already too much, especially because I also focus on other aspects of my business.
You're right Danny, it's about meeting prospects or customers where they are. As Ari said, they may not want to interact with us there, but there's a way. Perhaps they will approve my friend request if I'm a friend of theirs and based on introduction.
After all, what are they doing at Facebook if not to connect?
I wonder if these "gurus" are self-proclaimed, Hendry? Signing up for every site under the sun merely weakens your hold on each. There are over 150+ known social sites with more springing up regularly. You can't say that having an account on each is a good use of your time? And is the traffic any good if it's the wrong type?
Introductions and recommendations will (I believe) always have the edge over marketing – it's the trust factor of having someone you trust say "Check this person out". Of course, having good marketing alongside that won't hurt
Twitter: timjahn
You bring up a very important point here, Danny. Those in the tech world rave about social media being a must have for businesses of all shapes and sizes. It certainly helps many businesses, but the key point to keep in mind is that not all tools work for everyone.
Find the tools that work for your business. If that's social media, good. If it's not, that's totally fine. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Do what works for you!
Always a good read here, Danny!
Great point Tim. Take your blog, as an example. Love the design, it's sharp and your posts are usually short, compact and punchy. But would that approach work for an accountant, or a lawyer? Probably not. So why not keep that mentality in your other approaches to marketing or promoting yourself?
Twitter: timjahn
Thanks for the kind words
There's definitely no encompassing right answer for everyone here.
Hi, Tim. As a PR student, we're always getting drilled with different social media tools that can enhance our communication with different publics. Learning about these tools is fun and interesting, but it can get overwhelming quickly because of the numerous social media tools out there.
You bring up a good point about social media NOT being the end all be all of businesses. My boss recently asked me and the other PR/marketing assistants whether our company should start a Facebook group and MySpace page. Our answer was basically…no. It's not worth our time or energy to implement new communication methods to a non-receptive target audience.
Thanks for your thoughts, Danny.
That's the main problem for a lot of people, Jamie – students, businesses or otherwise. Too much info can be just as bad as not enough and being stretched simply lessens your reach. And I'll forgive your name typo
And excuse my (lack of) hand-eye coordination. I looked up and saw "Tim" when I was writing my comment…knowing in my head I'm reading your blog (Danny Brown). My apologies. : )
This is an important thought, but I hope it doesn't give people an excuse not to do ANYTHING with social media. I talked to an official this week who asked me if there weren't ethical problems putting out information on the limited channel of Twitter. I turned it around and asked how many people are reached when almost nobody can participate in a City Council committee unless they are retired, a professional activist or can afford to take a day off.
Of course, you are absolutely right – you don't need to be on all channels. But you also can't do businesses or government the same way anymore, either.
Agreed 100%, Adriel. Use the channels wisely but at least use some of them (as long as they're relevant to your needs).
Twitter: abarcelos
Danny, a very refreshing post! It really forced me to take a fresh look at my existing clients and see where they are at with social media. Turns out some of them don't even know what a blog is let alone social media. Going forward social media is going to be an education process with my clients, and I will engage them to begin embracing it in baby steps. Thanks!
Glad to help, Anna. It may be that some of your clients don't even need a blog (will their target audience know where to find it?).
Individual approaches each time helps define that brand, not the shotgun approach.
Danny,
Thanks for saying this so well. There is SO much noise in the Internet marketing space right now and it will only get louder. Social media is truly not for everyone ……. now. What's most important is t provide advice that will be effective for someone and not just cool. Great work.
A small voice when concentrated can be much louder than someone trying to shout in a multitude of places – I think we forget that sometimes, Frank, or get told to forget it. Find your feet and make your stand.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views, appreciate it.