Where are the people I’m trying to reach?
This is also an important question because there are a limited number of hours in the day and we need to put our efforts into what makes sense for our business. Just because you heard about MySpace in the news doesn’t mean that your audience of roofing contractors is there or has even heard about it. You’ll need to do a little research to find out where your audience is.
Here are some places to look:
- Start with publications focused at your audience – their websites often offer or link to a existing community.
- Look to see if there are dedicated groups on existing social networks (like Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn, etc).
- Use Google to search for your industry name to see if any other websites have or link to a network.
- Try a blog search to find blogs (try Google Blog Search or Technorati) in your industry – they often have communities or link to them.
- Ask professionals in your industry if they know of any online communities.
If you still come up blank it may be that there isn’t a community for your industry (yet). Before you run off to start your own community, it is also important to understand your audience. Are they even online? Do they just read websites or will they create content and join the conversation? The Profile tool at the Groundswell site can help you understand the tendencies of your audience.
Other posts in this series:
What Social Networks Should I Join to Promote My Business?
Using Social Networks for Business – What Are Your Goals?
Technorati Tags: social networks, social networking, internet consulting