Social media » The Mattison Group

Are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ Right for You?

Jan 222012

In this era of influence via social media, nobody wants to be left behind. Still, using all the available platforms can seem overwhelming. Is it necessary?

The answer is “yes” and “no” — it depends on your goals. Defining those goals and objectives is the first step. One size does not fit all.

Large corporations and Internet marketers really should be using all four of these platforms, and more. Why? Because using social media affords an opportunity to get out messages about one’s products and services, certainly, but it also provides an equally important chance to listen — to opinions about products/services, to potential and existing customers’ preferences and expressed needs, and to competitors. Constant and consistent engagement is essential.

What about smaller enterprises, the typical “small business”? Yes, it’s still important, but not necessarily at the level of a large corporation or a business dependent entirely, or mostly, on Internet marketing. Using each of these platforms can increase your exposure and your connections, and also allow you an important glimpse at customer preferences and competitors’ actions. Your blog, and the research behind it, can provide much of the fodder for social media postings. Which social media outlet to use depends on the business and its goals, with Twitter and Facebook most important for most small businesses.

What about research groups at universities or think tanks? Yes, these platforms are an excellent way to get out the news about the latest research, activities and kudos. They also offer a means for building and maintaining networks of contacts that can prove invaluable in expanding opportunities. In most cases, Twitter and LinkedIn make the most sense, since Twitter can reach virtually everyone and LinkedIn is the professional online networking connection.

What about non-profit groups? Larger organizations — those that are national (or international) and well-established — benefit from adopting a broad approach similar to that of large corporations. Smaller groups’ needs vary, depending on their focus and objectives. A local philanthropic organization, for example, likely would find a Facebook page to be very useful, both for internal communication and to publicize fundraising events. Local professional organizations might find that a LinkedIn group best meets their needs.

Whatever the reasons for using social media, the keys to success are building a following among your target audiences and maintaining over time the consistent engagement and content that keeps them interested.

Building a Workable Social Media Strategy

Blogging, Image and visibility, Social media No Responses »

Oct 252011

Twitter, Facebook, blogs, e-mail blasts — keeping up with them all clearly takes time. Is it worth it? If you do want to jump into the foray, where should you start?

One of the best basic posts I’ve seen on social media strategy is here: The 3 Phases Of Social Media Strategy. What makes this a good post? Well, first of all, it’s realistic. It takes time to build a social media presence that’s effective; this post provides a sensible approach that incorporates blogs, e-mail lists, Facebook and Twitter. It recognizes that Facebook and Twitter are neither magic nor useless — and that having thousands of Twitter followers isn’t necessarily what works. Blogs and e-mail lists form the backbone of this strategy; Facebook and Twitter supplement both.

Key points

1. Build connections, not just lists of followers.

“If you set an initial goal to create 150 followers who really are engaged with you, something remarkable will happen. Your brand, blog, or product will spread.”

2. Using social media only to sell and promote, rather than truly engage, rarely works.

“Once you’ve built an audience around your Facebook fan page, the next key is connecting with them. If you start trying to sell them without connecting with them, people will drop your page . . . Your Facebook page is not about you or your product. It’s about your readers and customers.”

3. Blogs provide the best opportunity to appear human — as well as promote products and services.

“The key to a good blog is telling a good story. A blog is an opportunity for you or your company to showcase the fact that there is a human being behind the brand. . . A blog should not be treated as a glorified marketing brochure. If you focus on the creation of value, you’ll reap the true rewards from your blog.

“One of the questions I’ve seen asked from some marketers is ‘Is a blog right for my company?’ When people conclude that a blog is not for their company, I’m convinced that they just don’t know what it takes to create a compelling blog. Blogs give you an opportunity to act as an artist rather than a marketer and as a human rather than a machine.”

4. E-mail lists remain essential.

“. . . the #1 mistake that every single blogger/internet marketer says they made was not starting an e-mail list soon enough. One of the things that e-mail enables is direct communication with your customers or readers. Almost every blogger cites their e-mail list as the major source of their revenue.”

5. Tie it all together!

Use your Facebook page to encourage people to follow you on Twitter, read your blog, or sign up for your e-mail list.
Use Twitter to promote your Facebook page, blog or e-mail newsletter list
Use your e-mail list and blog to encourage people to follow you on Twitter or Like your Facebook page

And a word from us about content: share it across platforms. Engaging your audience does require tailoring approaches to the platform, but a good blog post, or Twitter offer, or Facebook discussion, or e-mail newletter provides content that can be used in all four of these forums. And, actually, people are more likely to remember good content — and your company — when it appears in several guises.