Are you treating social media like a checklist?
A recent study by Econsultancy called “The Value of Social Media” shows that companies are overwhelmingly using the “Big 4″ of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Linkedin for their social media efforts.
And while I don’t have any issues with those sites (in fact I wrote about Facebook marketing in-depth here), but is treating social media like a checklist really the best possible solution for your company?
There’s More Out There if You Look For It
Every day, 22 million Americans eat at McDonald’s. But, there are 108 million other people that eat at restaurants each day in America that are NOT McDonald’s.
A recent feature on CIO.com on “10 of World’s Strangest Social Networks” gets it all wrong. Somebody’s “strange” social network is someone else’s potentially thriving customer community. And when you stick 100% to the Big 4, you miss those opportunities.
Sure, the StachePassions social network (for mustache aficionados, natch) is a little unusual on the surface. But, if you think it through, many companies could succeed by participating in this community. Of course facial hair supply. But, what about photographers or digital cameras? What about Baskin Robbins – with a promotion offering free samples (and extra napkins)?
There are more than two million specialty communities on the Ning platform alone, giving you ample opportunities to find your fans and customers.
It’s About Engagement, Not Eyeballs
I worry that by focusing so much on the Big 4, we start to look at social media through the prism of audience size, which is a vestige of the old marketing. Remember, social media is about meeting your customers in their house, on their terms, and working together. And if your customers are on VampireFreaks.com (which has 2.2 million members), then maybe that’s where you should be as well – even if that means you don’t participate on Twitter.
I’m not saying you have to have a social presence in every single place one of your customers has an account. That’s impractical and unnecessary. But, in the rush to “do” social media, companies are forgetting that the communities that are most social (and thus carry the most potential) are those that are topically focused.
Do you really know where your customers are in social media? Are you ready to look harder?
I'm ready to look harder for sure. But I think that we must understand that all social media sites do not work for every industry. Where twitter might be good for designers, facebook is perhaps better for small businesses. Creating your presence everywhere doesn't exactly work, it just eats up more energy.
Quite. And if you're not careful, you can come across looking like a complete amateur, and actually hurt your brand.
There's also a genuine risk of spreading yourself too thinly. If you only have the resources to focus on one or two social networks, it really should be Twitter and Facebook, unless you have really solid evidence that your product and brand will be significantly more lucrative somewhere else.
Jay's right that it definitely makes sense to look at all the options. The point about McDonald's is incredibly valid. It's my experience that not every kind of organisation gels nicely with social media, certainly in the standardised, more-popular forms. Some things are a *very* hard sell, and the folks in those niches would absolutely be better looking for a platform that is more on-topic.
I'm not sure if you were just providing an example Christian, but Twitter works brilliantly for many kinds of businesses (not just designers). It doesn't work well for very localised brands, because Twitter isn't really about your local network. For businesses on Twitter, it's about reaching as many customers as possible, and being able to cater to them. If you don't ship nationally and internationally, in my opinion you're probably better off concentrating on Facebook (and/or a niche network, if available). Sure, have a profile on Twitter, but if all of your sales are from footfall to your single store in Barrow, Alaska, I wouldn't expect great things.
Quite. And if you're not careful, you can come across looking like a complete amateur, and actually hurt your brand.
There's also a genuine risk of spreading yourself too thinly. If you only have the resources to focus on one or two social networks, it really should be Twitter and Facebook, unless you have really solid evidence that your product and brand will be significantly more lucrative somewhere else.
Jay's right that it definitely makes sense to look at all the options. The point about McDonald's is incredibly valid. It's my experience that not every kind of organisation gels nicely with social media, certainly in the standardised, more-popular forms. Some things are a *very* hard sell, and the folks in those niches would absolutely be better looking for a platform that is more on-topic.
I'm not sure if you were just providing an example Christian, but Twitter works brilliantly for many kinds of businesses (not just designers). It doesn't work well for very localised brands, because Twitter isn't really about your local network. For businesses on Twitter, it's about reaching as many customers as possible, and being able to cater to them. If you don't ship nationally and internationally, in my opinion you're probably better off concentrating on Facebook (and/or a niche network, if available). Sure, have a profile on Twitter, but if all of your sales are from footfall to your single store in Barrow, Alaska, I wouldn't expect great things.
I'm with you, Jason. The Long Tail makes mustache networks (great name for a band, right) very relevant to the right audience.
RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts?: Are you treating social media like a checklist?A re… http://bit.ly/aLDxEE #marketing
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts?: Are you treating social media like a checklist?A recent study by Econsulta… http://bit.ly/cJjiRD
RT @doktormarketing – Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/9Mg8zc #ConvinceandConvert
To Jay's point, one shouldn't apply a prescriptive approach to social media and automatically go with, as he put it, the “Big 4.” If we follow the first rule of social media, which is to listen, then that should indicate in what social media neighborhood(s) our prospects and clients live. It will also tell us if we should rule out any social media tools.
To Jay's point, one shouldn't apply a prescriptive approach to social media and automatically go with, as he put it, the “Big 4.” If we follow the first rule of social media, which is to listen, then that should indicate in what social media neighborhood(s) our prospects and clients live. It will also tell us if we should rule out any social media tools.
To Jay's point, one shouldn't apply a prescriptive approach to social media and automatically go with, as he put it, the “Big 4.” If we follow the first rule of social media, which is to listen, then that should indicate in what social media neighborhood(s) our prospects and clients live. It will also tell us if we should rule out any social media tools.
Jay Baer Blog: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bntqNj Full http://bit.ly/c771S3
Jay Baer Blog: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bntqNj Full http://bit.ly/c771S3
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
RT @inspiredmag: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
RT @inspiredmag: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
RT @inspiredmag: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
RT @inspiredmag: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? Are you treating social media like a checklist? http://bit.ly/a9XgUf #bmeurope
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? Are you treating social media like a checklist? http://bit.ly/a9XgUf #bmeurope
RT @UnicornRW Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? Are you treating social media like a checklist? http://bit.ly/a9XgUf #bmeurope
RT @UnicornRW Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? Are you treating social media like a checklist? http://bit.ly/a9XgUf #bmeurope
Good AM! I just read "Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts?" by @jaybaer http://bit.ly/9suN07
RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2 #fb
Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @inspiredmag: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? – Are you treating social media like a checklist? A recent study by Econsult… http://ow.ly/16KSMA
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @jbonnel: RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @jbonnel: RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT: @inspiredmag: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/dg3Mdb
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts?: Are you treating social media like a checklist?A re… http://bit.ly/aLDxEE #marketing
RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2
RT @jbonnel: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @leeodden: RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2
Genius.
It doesn't matter what you/your company like in social media, it's what your market loves.
RT @leeodden: RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/atkjk5
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2 RT @leeodden @jaybaer
Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2 RT @leeodden @jaybaer
Love the article and diggin' your blog!
RT @TheGrok: RT @leeodden: RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2
RT @TheGrok: RT @leeodden: RT @jaybaer: Are You Taking Social Media Shortcuts? http://bit.ly/bM6Aq2
RT @Kriisiis: Aux USA, les entreprises utilisent principalement le "Big 4" (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) http://bit.ly/da1Qv5