Is it Twitter? Facebook? What about MySpace or Plaxo? It’s hard to say that one, (if only one and if any ONE) is right to use for your business. Why? Because every business is different and every business owner is different. Deciding what works well with your business is relative, again, to the business.
Social media marketing is a hot topic these days for most all businesses. Showcasing your wares and services is pretty exciting on some sites, and if it is properly strategized, can go beyond what seems like “work” and can be a lot of fun. A lot of blogger journalists are finding that having a voice in the blog-o-sphere empowers them and can make an impact with readers. Corporate businesses often hire bloggers to write in a marketing style voice that will attract readers to their site(s) by providing rich, relevant content.
Social sites help businesses and individuals get “discovered.” A lot of the conversations and groups that exist on these platforms are useless or in pursuit of spam action, however, quality leads are the goal of the serious user. Many of the platforms also have a somewhat detailed registration and maintenance landing page, often discouraging spammers from signing up. But, ignoring the spam clutter and useless requests, there are users and companies who take the sites very seriously and work hard to build solid networks.
Twitter is by far one of my favorite networking sites and can be a powerful networking tool. It’s designed as a micro-blogging tool to give quick, dense updates on news and developments within your niche area, on anything. How can businesses benefit from the Twitter site? One idea is to post links to good, quality content on your site or other sites to share with your followers. If you provide good content and good links, half of your marketing job is done. Take great care to provide good links and good information since most of Twitter readers are limited on time (who isn’t?) and really don’t want to waste their time.
At one time, I really thought that Facebook was for social networking for friends and light acquaintances only. How wrong was I? Since I’ve been on Facebook, I’ve made some very good connections and am poised to present to a local business organization as a result of it. More than just “hi, how are you”, Facebook is a powerful platform for finding those that niche with you. In other words, you can network and build networks of people and companies who embrace the same things that you do, have the same business goals that you do and are in pursuit of the same types of business developments that you are.
LinkedIn is another professional platform tool that your business can use to really expand and make an impact in the online world. Connections are the term that LinkedIn uses to qualify their members, and members can request to be in a network or to request to have someone of interest join their network. LinkedIn has a process design that is quite sophisticated and removes most of the spam that can clog up a site. They require members to take the time to flesh out their profiles and to be a thorough as possible in order to make good connections. Herein is the key. Good connections are essential to the LinkedIn member’s success, and with careful implementation, can be quite profitable for the member.
So which platform is right for your business? How do you know if it’s right for your business? Mack Collier at SearchEngineGuide.com wrote this post about deciding just that. I didn’t really agree with everything that he had to say, but that is my point. Without the platforms to voice opinions and ideas, there would be many boring blog reads! However, knowing where and in which direction you’d like to take the media contacts is important in determining in which direction you will go.
The goal of any writer is to provide information to the reader. If you are an individual business owner or building a business, you would undoubtedly benefit from these three and from the numerous many more. If you are a corporate entity or manage one, again, they could all benefit you. There really is no magic or special formula when it comes to social media networking. It works when it worked right and it doesn’t work when it’s not worked right. Period. Use social media platforms in your business, no matter what the business is and what the platform is. A lot of people may not agree with me on this, but customers, readers, contributors or whatever they’re pegged do not classify themselves as one or the other. Treat them as buyers and act like they’re buyers. When you do this, you reap the rewards of having addressed buyers. Why should there be any less?
Which platform does your business use? Is one really better than the other or more effective than the other? What do you think?
I am a freelance writer, blogger and professional motivational speaker. I primarily focus on business content, offering my clients strategic marketing strategies for their businesses. I have been an entrepreneur for over 13 years, after having worked extensively in corporate America.
