Wow!!! – Is social media the buzz in 2012?
If you do not have a social media plan, you are a nobody.
If you are not on Google+, you are missing the boat?
If you are not on Facebook, you are missing out on the millions of people!
If you do not have 20,000 followers yet on Twitter, you are in the dust.
If you do not have your Linkedin Company Page, you could be missing out on valuable contacts.
Are you on Tumblr and Pinterest… Two more growing networks.
and the list goes on and on….
Now – Take a deep breadth and listen for a second
There is a lot of noise at the beginning of a year. Many articles are being written that make it seem that you should be in a “panic” about these items.
One word of advice…(TIME)
It’s not about how fast you can get on these platforms and create a following. Unless you are a superstar icon, you will not be gaining a rapid following in 24 hours. The key is connecting with your clients. This is the part that is missing in the above scenario. I can get you numbers if that is all you want. That is the easy part.
The hardest part is coming up with a way to drive marketing traffic using the above platforms to your website and company. Yes – I monitor how many phone calls and new clients we receive from these platforms. I don’t look at the follower numbers everyday. I want the right followers, not just someone who is using some (..Add new accounts software package that looks at your bio and adds you based on a key word)
For me, I have found a great marketing niche with content: (Marketing Information with this blog) and (Science/Health information for the Midwest Labs Blog) Each niche market brings something special and ultimately people will find us on Google and other Search Engines.
In addition, these platforms give me the opportunity to connect with people from a wide range of industries and that is the real WOW! part of this whole process.
All of these processes take time and I have made it a goal to not listen to all of the noise in 2012. There is so much noise right now and people need to watch so they do not get caught up in the noise and lose their focus.
An example of getting caught up in the noise in 2011 for me was Klout. Is Klout a valuable tool or not? I debated and debated this question. Finally, I asked the hard question, will I gain new clients through Klout? Answer No. Is it worth spending time to try and build my influence on Klout? – Answer No. As a result, I stopped using Klout.
Ask yourself these tough questions! Focus on a limited number of platforms and find the people you want to connect with on those platforms. Don’t try to spread yourself over a number of platforms and have limited connections. (A hard lesson to learn – but once you learn it, you will be better for it. )
So in conclusion:
Pick a few platforms and have a presence…Don’t get carried away
Tie your posts back to your blog or corporate site…
Let others discover the hype or too-much hype on new platforms and learn from their findings.
Find the great advocates on social media platforms and stay connected on a daily/weekly basis. (This is one of my goals in 2012)
Always ask yourself is my work bringing in more business, visibility, phone calls or other metrics…If it’s not, stop doing it.
Do you have some other suggestions for 2012? Please share – I am always interested in other people’s views!
