Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Just use these social networks and they’ll work for your business! WRONG! While these social networks may work for a lot of businesses, they may not necessarily work for yours. There may also be better places online to spend your time. Spending a little time investigating and experimenting with alternative social networks may give you more bang for the buck.
Facebook Isn’t (necessarily) All That
Everyone may tell you that you NEED to be on Facebook. But they may not be right. Consumers are on Facebook to interact with their friends and families (and to play games). People make “like” a company page to get a discount, but then they may ignore everything else. There is no doubt that there’s a HUGE audience on Facebook, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the best place to spend your (limited) time online. If you are going to use Facebook as part of your online strategy, you’ll need to create an ongoing content strategy that really engages your audience and encourages them to participate.
If your audience is already on Facebook and is already interacting fairly consistently on other company or association pages or groups, then Facebook may make a lot of sense. Before you leap, understand the environment and whether it makes sense for YOUR business.
Niche Often is Best
Many industries have smaller social networks that may give you access to a more targeted audience. Because the pond is smaller, you’re more likely to stand out (as long as you’re working on having two-way conversations and not just promoting yourself) on niche social media sites. Since the social network is already targeted, more of the audience is probably more likely to listen and care about what you have to say.
Use Each Social Network to Its Strengths
Even if you do decide to use Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn, make sure you understand the best ways to use each network. Social networks are tools, which will only work effectively if they’re used properly. Content and engagement that works on Twitter may not work on Facebook or LinkedIn. Take time to understand the intricacies of each network and how they can best be used. Then experiment with how the social network is best used for engaging your audience.
What Works for One Company May Not Work For Yours
Just because a particular strategy or content works for one company, doesn’t mean that it will work for you. While there are best practices for each type of social media, it’s still going to take some thinking and experimentation to see what works best with your specific audience.
Expand Your Definition of Social
When you’re looking for social networks to participate in, expand your definition to include discussion forums, blogs, chat rooms, and other types of online sites, media and tools. Social media is really any place where conversations are happening online. If you broaden your definition, you may find some great places for you to participate online.
What types of social media do you use for your business?
(photo by außerirdische sind gesund, on Flickr CC)