2009 May

Manners or Marketing?

Social Network Marketing

Social networking has been around for a while now. Only recently has it become a part of business networking and even marketing strategy. It's the big buzz.

But is it also the big buzz kill? That's debatable.

Too Much Time?

Forget the fact that keeping your postings current on social networking sites (blogs included) is extremeley time consuming and can be a distraction from more effective forms of marketing, is it even effective? Some forms of marketing are sometimes difficult to measure -- like a website, they just need to be there. Social networking may fall into this catetory. What's the solution? Decide how often you really need to post, and stick to it.

Too Much Information?

You might not let the cat out of the bag...but your "friends" might. A little digging can unearth a lot of info you might not normally share if you appreciate boundaries between your personal and business relationships. Many of us want to maintain a formality in business that isn't furthered when our customer is faced with posts from our parents and children and best buddies. What's the answer? Investigte the private and public settings on your account and set them according to your needs. You many even decide to create a separate online entity for your business - a separate account.

Too Much, But Not Enough!

Businesses are rushing to social networking sites as a way to increase their network of referral sources, event participants, and a way to communicate with many people all at once. That's great, but it doesn't change the rules of sales. People buy from people they like. And in most cases to like someone you have to know them. What's the answer? Social networking is another layer of marketing but it's not a substitute for nurturing your customer in person - it's just a little extra glue!