Social Media Strategy

If you know me, or read my other blog, you know how much I love Social Media. I have been using Social Media for recreation and promotion since the days when all we had were mailing lists (message boards were too high-tech for me at that point). Once Social Media software began to become popular, it was a great way to meet new people and keep track of old friends. I did a lot of moving around between 1994 and 2004, and without Friendster and MySpace, I would have lost touch with many of the wonderful friends I met all over the country.

As Facebook gained popularity, and companies began to really see the value of social media, my perspective of it began to change. In addition to creating good sites that are well prepared for search engine visibility, it is also necessary to consider whether a social campaign is right for a business. There are a few things to help you decide if launching a social media campaign is right for your business, and rule #1 is why I have not created a Facebook fan page for Beginning SEO.

Do you have time, and commitment to give your social media strategy?

Beginning SEO does not get the attention from me that it probably deserves. Time is money after all, and if you don’t have the resources to make an appropriate commitment your blog, Twitter account and Facebook fan pages, the hinges will begin to squeak and it will be obvious how much care you have been putting into them. This offers a bad ascetic to folks who do happen to stumble upon them.

Rather than offer my suggestions on why you should, or shouldn’t create social media profiles for your business, I would like to offer my perspective on the usefulness of social applications and how I see them best implemented.

Google Buzz

Nothing to report, unfortunately. Google Buzz is threatening to become a serious contender in the social software arena, but most of the information you are going to find at this point are a lot of articles and posts talking about privacy issues. Despite the deluge of Buzz privacy issues that users appear to be up in arms about, usage statistics for the two week old Social Media infant are overwhelming. Just five days before this post was written, Mashable’s Ben Parr called Google Buzz…

…a nuclear bomb whose fallout will permanently alter the social media landscape.

The true impact of Google Buzz is still yet to be determined. As a method of sharing, searching and reading content, as well as interacting with other users, it seems to be on its way. I have heard rumors about Buzz’s speculated effect on SERPs.  Rumor has it Goolgle Buzz will begin to give consumers more influence and may allow everyday people to compete for SERP placement with corporations who have significant digital marketing budgets. So far it doesn’t appear that Google Buzz can benefit large corporations, but rather a tool for the people.

At this point in Buzz’s youth I see it as another hose on Google’s data vacuum, consuming your information like The Blob.

Facebook and Twitter

I put these together because they work so well in tandem, it’s ridiculous for some organizations to use them separately. There are many ways that your business can use Twitter and Facebook to develop your brand and gain public recognition. It’s a great way for smaller businesses as well as non-mainstream companies get the word out. As a business your Facebook fan pages and Twitter time line can allow you to:

• Distribute original and third party content relevant to your brand identity
• Leverage your content to create conversations between you and your fans, and your fans with each other
• Add another level to customer service, as your fans will turn to your Facebook fan page to publicly express their issues and questions with your service
• Act quickly and authoritatively in the face of different kinds of online publicity

Another thing that Facebook and Twitter have in common is the amount of access you have to the general public (and most importantly your customer base) at any given time. This access is something to be respected however. The people who fan and follow your business do so because they like something about what it represents. Going too off-topic can turn people off just as badly as having too many daily updates. Most Social Media users were drawn to it because of a desire to connect with folks they know. People have a desire to keep up with people that they have things in common with. They added your organization to their friends list, and your organization should take that as a humble compliment.

Twitter Tip: Create many accounts for as many topics as you would like to represent. For example a news organization can have Twitter channels for

• Local news
• National News
• International news
• Sports
• Entertainment
• Lifestyle
• Classifieds
  

If you are wondering if developing a Social Media Strategy is right for your business, the answer is undoubtedly YES. It’s a great idea to start planning your strategy in tandem with SEO from the beginning. You must be prepared to give it the proper amount of time and attention. Social Media can be your gateway to a responsive and proactive audience. It is important to respect your followers and realize that every time you say something, someone will be listening. Choose your words carefully and approach your strategy with your brand identity at the front of your mind.