Finding the right social network

As a marketing agency, being located in Fort Worth definitely has its advantages. For one, it’s Fort Worth, and really, who doesn’t love this city? Second, local businesses are the best here – Kincaid’s and McKinley’s are definitely at the top of that list. And third, TCU is right down the road.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity last Friday to attend a seminar on business online networking, and I got some pretty interesting definitions out of it that I thought I would share.

These definitions really are a great metaphor for the whole microcosm of social media:

• Facebook is a pub – an informal place to talk casually with people and get to know them on a more personal basis
• LinkedIn is a trade show – a slightly more formal place to meet other business professionals and connect with them primarily for business purposes
• Twitter is a cocktail party – an energetic place where there are many conversations going on at once, amazing applications that allow you to see topic trends and reach many “followers” with your message
• YouTube is Times Square on New Year’s Eve – a place where it’s hard to break through, but if you do, a lot of people will see you
• MySpace is Woodstock – wild, crazy and perfect for the younger generation or cause-oriented marketing
• HubSpot is the stock market – it brings you the measurements of what your online activities are doing for your business
• introNetworks is like a trade show on steroids – it gets your groups and event participants interacting with each other before, during and after the event
• cubeless is the company newsletter on steroids – it gets your employees interacting and collaborating with each other

The question now is, “which medium best fits your needs?”

To be or not to be on social media

That is the question. With Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Plaxo, Flickr, Ping and blogs (have I lost you yet?) all inviting us to connect, the question becomes rather obvious:

“Everyone’s doing it, why not?”

Instead of simply jumping into the pool of social media, it’s important to decide whether or not one or all are right for your goals. So first things first: what are your goals?

Thanks to a meeting on social media at the Business Assistance Center, I learned a good list of questions any business should ask before deciding to take on social media.

1. Strategic planning: what are your goals for marketing yourself and your company? And how do you plan to do it?
2. Tactical knowledge: what do you need to execute this plan? (i.e. classes, one-on-one training, books, etc.)
3. Operational procedures: how much time and effort will be required to attain your marketing goals?
4. Avenues: which networks are the best to reach your goals? (i.e. LinkedIn is directed to a more professional base, while Facebook caters to more of a social network)
5. Continuous improvement: will you be able to maintain the social networks you are on?

By asking yourself these questions, it will become clear if you are prepared or not to take on social media as a marketing tool.

I must advise you on one point in particular; instead of jumping into all of the avenues at once, first dive into one and become an expert.

Remember, social media is a process, like any other marketing strategy, you must be patient and willing to learn.

Enjoy!