Social Media and Social Networking are platforms for building relationships on the Internet. Building relationships online is the main task for the business owner/marketer. Nevertheless, there are so many new applications to try – and they take your attention away from what you need to be doing to be a successful marketer online.
So what can one do to stem the tide of new applications? Have a plan…create a schedule and use a timer if need be. You must be online, but choose carefully where you spend your time.
I suggest to my clients to start with a core group of sites: LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, Twitter.com, write a blog regularly and keep your website up-to-date.
Before joining any of the social networking sites, visit the site a number of times and take note of the content of the posts. Are you interested in what is written? Can you add to the conversation? Do you want to meet the people who are members of the site?
Tips on keeping up with the latest stuff:
1. Follow bloggers who write on your specific industry.
a. blogsearch.google.com/
b. http://alltop.comAlltop.com
2. Set aside time each week to explore, use a timer if necessary.
3. Be active on you chosen Social Networking sites.
a. Join in discussions
b. Ask questions
c. Invite people to connect with you
4. Visit blogs and websites that offer information on the latest stuff and ideas.
a. Mashable.com
b. Makeuseof.com
c. Hubspot.com
d. Seth Godin http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
e. Chris Brogan http://www.chrisbrogan.com/
Yes, this takes time – but so does everything else. Use your time wisely. Do not get hooked on the many games, polls and other time-wasters available on social networking sites. If your contacts play and ask you to join and you find it distracting or you don't want it cluttering-up your site, there is usually a hide button in the upper right corner of the offending post. Use tools like Google Reader and Delicious.com to keep track of what interests you. Be curious...Be real... Be generous...
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