Social media marketing is not brand new, but it is nowhere near old.
So we don't really know answers to these types of questions:
- Is social media marketing activity productive?
- If it is productive, is it always productive?
- If it not always productive, when IS it productive, and when is it just playtime?
I saw a couple of posts yesterday, and they inspired me to think about things and write this blog post.
Blog Post #1: People Aren't on Social Media to Connect with Brands
(by Richard Meyer of New Media Marketing)
(by Jeremy Miller of Sticky Branding)
Richard Meyer's blog post questioned whether people actually connect to brands on social media. Jeremy Miller's blog post questioned whether time spent on the golf course really helps secure sales.
They seem to be different topics, but I took them to be the same thing. The explanation is simple.
Jeremy is wondering whether socializing in real life really is productive toward the business' bottom line.
Richard is wondering the same thing on social media.
Because social media marketing is new, still, that means that all of us are really guessing what is really right and wrong about it, because there has not been enough history to establish a lot of credible data.
Most of us are responding to our logic or what we hear (or read) from other people. Both of these methods of learning are okay. In fact, it's really healthy to learn things this way, because it forces us to gain experience ourselves.
However, that's just it! We have to gain the experience ourselves. We DON'T really know what to do with all of these we get on the Internet trying to pass as information. (This includes things that I write about social media, too!)
We keep hearing and reading that social media marketing is paramount to success, and there is plenty of logic to support that it will be here for a while. It's definitely influences enough people that many of us are listening.
So a whole bunch of us keep chugging, if not flailing, toward trying to master this "social media" thing.
Main Question: Are we really being productive on social media, or are we really just wasting our time--postponing real work while still looking busy?
Until we get "real" answers, here is my checklist that I try to use for myself while doing my social media marketing activities.
By doing this specific activity, am I accomplishing ANY of these objectives?
- Identifying a (legitimately) targeted sales prospect
- Qualifying a sales prospect
- Establishing myself as an "Expert" in something that I see possibly benefiting me later
- Identifying someone as a potential
- employee/contractor
- potential partner
- supplier (vendor)
- customer (or hiring authority)
- person who will refer me to other people/groups
- person who can teach me skills I want or need to learn
- Identifying someone who might
- be able to help someone else I know
- help me get speaking engagements
- publish books
- offer guest blogging opportunities
- Promoting someone else
- to help build my alliance
- to create an opportunity with center of influence person
- Building trust with someone I am targeting (for sales, alliance, supplier, referral partner, etc.)
However, when I am using social media, I am not always doing ANY of these things I listed. I'm pretty sure, in those cases, that I really am just
I'm just not always honest with myself...as I'm spending time on social media NOT doing those things.
What do you think? Did I miss anything on my list? Do I entirely misunderstand something important about social media marketing?
Like this post? Other recent posts are
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I keep on reading this attractive blog....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inquitech.com/social-media-marketing/
It is also advisable to add scheduling of your very important clients and prospective targets in your calendar so you can focus on marketing to them. You can do multiple updates at a time, but be carefully not to duplicate the content for every client. That way, you can be more efficient and productive.
ReplyDeleteDarryl Prinz
This is a really good point, Darryl. Actually, both of your points are valuable: scheduling important clients/prospects and avoid duplicating content.
Delete“Building trust with someone I am targeting (for sales, alliance, supplier, referral partner, etc.)”--- You can really form a bond with other people, and once you have established a good relationship with them, you will constantly create a good impact, build a good reputation, and increase your business’ integrity. This is great since it may ultimately result in better business opportunities.
ReplyDeleteSage Aumick
“Because social media marketing is new, still, that means that all of us are really guessing what is really right and wrong about it…”--- Like any other strategy that most business used in their past campaigns, in social media marketing, the outcome can still be indefinite. This is why you still need to create great approaches and determine which one will make an impact on your customers.
ReplyDeleteMasako Gun