Should I be using Twitter?

What about Facebook?  MySpace?

Over the last few months there have been a slew of social media seminars, presentations, roundtables and luncheons in just the few blocks walk from my office.  Everyone and their Grandmother has heard about Twitter at this point – and some Grandmothers even have a Facebook account!  The big question every business owner wants to know right now is: “Should I be using social media?”

The first part of the answer is, of course: “Yes!”  But the varying methods and vehicles of Social Media mean that there isn’t a one-size fits all solution.  So the second part of the answer is, “…but it depends on your time and your audience.”

To begin with, social media will require dedicated time – the amount you are willing or able to invest should help direct you towards your first foray into the murky world of tweets and friend requests.  Some social sites require more of a time commitment than others, with Facebook and MySpace as great examples of the most time required.  

The learning curve for advanced features on these sites can be steep; and while easy to remember once you’ve learned a few tasks, neither site is terribly intuitive at the Business User level.  Making friends and connections is mostly the name of the game here, but keeping content alive and fresh can easily become a full-time position, which isn’t always feasible.

On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find Twitter.    Sign up, and pay attention to the handfuls of ways you can post 140 characters or less at a time – then start posting!  Done!  

Whether it is a complicated setup or not though; content is still king.  You need to make sure you use your Social Media tools as revenue driving forces, instead of just the time-killers so many of your competitors scramble to put up and keep active.

“But wait,” you say, “I have a website!  A blog even!  And I advertise!  Why do I need to Tweet or Facebook people too?”

The best way to answer that question is by asking you one in return: “How is your business growing right now?”  You’re off and running in the right direction by having all your traditional marketing methods in a row, calling your future customers to action in a measurable way that lets you examine the results of your efforts in real time.  (You are measuring your work, right?)  These Social Media tools add an additional layer of effort that can drive new business to you through direct referrals.  

You see, the biggest idea behind Social Media is that your postings don’t sit still.  Whether you post a link to your YouTube video testimonial, set up a Facebook event for your customers in a particular industry, or Tweet a link to a motivational article that helps set your sales attitude correctly – the goal behind these sites is to get other users to share your information with people they already know…but haven’t had the chance to meet or tweet you yet!  This is the digital world’s version of a warm introduction between you and their peer, and who wants to pass up an opportunity like that?

The answer to that question leads to the second qualifying aspect of how involved you should get in Social Media – who exactly your target audience happens to be.  Social Media finds its strength by allowing people to publically announce who they want to be associated with, and who they support.  You’ll need to learn if your target audience use Social Media in their business and personal lives, and if the service you provide is one that people want to be associated with.  

Are you a General Podiatrist that helps people learn to walk again?  Sure, go for it, develop your Social Media presence!  But, if you are a Specialist Podiatrist that deals with contagious and stubborn- to-remove foot fungus, no matter how thankful your clients may be – they may not want to brag to their social network about how much they love your practice!

At the end of the day, for a business to be successful in Social Media, you will need to share information with people that helps them, and is of interest to them.  You can help them to:

• Smile
• Laugh
• Learn
• Get involved
• Save Money
• Make Money
• Help their partners in turn

Your readers, your friends and fans all have the power to actively choose to share your content for you, delivering word-of-mouth advertising at no more cost than it takes you to deliver compelling content.  It is never easy, but it can be a manageable task if you make it part of your regular business processes.

So, if you’ve looked at the factors to consider about time and audience, and it feels like a good fit for you – go forth and Tweet!  Build your presence, farm your friends and colleagues into a revenue driving force, and find ways to continuously bring visitors back to your value driven site so you can measure your work.  

(Still not measuring your work?  Still letting your website be a passive cost instead of an active revenue stream? Let’s chat!)

Dempsey Design