Social Networking - Choosing Your Battles Wisely hen starting a Social Networking plan, take the time to focus on who your market is and what you are trying to accomplish with your efforts. There is no need to over do it and waste much needed time j
Picking and Choosing Your Battles In Social Networking Wisely
Are you caught in the hype of Social Networking? Twitter, Facebook, ActiveRain, Blogging and Linkedin, oh my! So much Social Networking and so little time.
So what do you do? You are a small business owner and you are taking charge of your online presence by getting on the Social Networking train but do you need to do them all? Better question, are they all beneficial to your business?
Social Networking is growing insanely popular and it’s gained a solid reputation as being a heavy hitter in small business marketing. The instant connect and the building of fanfare has caught and captured audiences of all demographics.
So it is a natural inclination that you should want to get in on as much of the action as possible, right?
Yes and that sounds really great until you sit down and get into what it takes to manage a SUCCESSFUL (I emphasize the word successful) campaign.
First off to have a successful campaign there must be a commitment of time and consistency. You need to be committed to each one of your social networking platforms and tend to them with fresh content and communication. This includes writing articles and sharing your knowledge on a regular basis. It’s Social but it needs to have some meat and potatoes too. More than likely if you are a small business owner or sole proprietor your time is very limited. So why spend the time and energy on marketing efforts that may not bring you the outcome you expect for all your diligent work?
Here are some questions and things to take a look at when starting your Social Marketing endeavor.
What type of business are you? Sounds simple right? Well if you are in domestic services or construction your time may be better served blogging than posting updates and comments Facebook.
What is the demographic of your client? Knowing who you are trying to target will also narrow down and pinpoint where your marketing efforts should be. If you are trying to reach people 25 and older who are looking for a Wellness Center, Facebook is a great place to do so. However, if you are a Realtor trying to network with other Real Estate professionals,you may get more exposure and engagement on Active Rain.
Your level of professionalism is something to consider too. If you are a law or financial business professional you may want to take some time to think if you really want to use Twitter. You need to take into consideration what you will be using it for, who you are trying to reach and what are you going to say. People have a tendency to Twitter what they are doing in a very casual manner and in the conservative business world that may not be good for business.
In summary, there are things to consider when launching a Social Networking plan. Do you have the time to commit and what is
