Is It Working For You?
Social media. It has been the word of the day for at least the last two years now. And I hear the question almost every single day: is it working for you?
"It" can mean a lot of things but, in general, breaks down to two separate concepts. Either you have a presence in a network, or you participate in a network. Whether or not "it" works for you depends on how you use it and what you wish to gain from it.
If your social media goal is to post a profile on every network out there so you can be found if someone searches for you, then you're establishing a presence. You're taking a passive approach and letting others come to you. There's nothing wrong with that, if that's all you're after.
If your goal is to connect with new colleagues, come up with new ideas, and find new business, "it" won't work unless you participate and contribute. How are new contacts supposed to notice you online if you never say anything? I venture to guess most professionals probably do not dedicate their time to simply reading through a list of member profiles. In order to be noticed, in order to cultivate an image as an expert or as a resource, you must participate.
It seems everyone is talking about social marketing these days, and the smart social marketers have recognized that the way to sell online today is to be helpful, interested, and responsive. Whatever you're selling - be it your destination, your facility, your services, your product, your expertise, or your sunny disposition - social media is all about engagement and interaction.
You can't meet someone new until you start a conversation. No one will know what you need until you post your request. You won't get a LinkedIn answer until you ask a question. It's hard to gain Twitter followers until you start following others. People won't visit your Facebook fan page if you don't tell them it's there. Industry discussion groups won't know what you have to offer until you start answering questions and entering conversations.
A web presence is one thing, but it's only the beginning. In today's online environments, it's not really enough to just sign up and sit back, expecting to be found. You need to go out and find your potential clients or your potential partners or your potential mentors, and you need to begin a conversation. It could be as simple as following the people who follow one of your favorite Tweeple. It could be as easy as asking for a recommendation from an industry listserv. It could take only the time necessary to compose a blog post for an industry Ning group. It could only require an occasional answer to an industry discussion forum. The point is that social media takes active use and contribution of some sort to result in success.
You can't really just add your name to the group membership list and then say it's not working for you. That's like leaving the vaccum in the closet and saying it doesn't keep your carpets clean.
"It" only works if you use it.
Serenity J. Knutson, Editor in Chief
PlannerWire.com
Serenity@PlannerWire.com
"It" can mean a lot of things but, in general, breaks down to two separate concepts. Either you have a presence in a network, or you participate in a network. Whether or not "it" works for you depends on how you use it and what you wish to gain from it.
If your social media goal is to post a profile on every network out there so you can be found if someone searches for you, then you're establishing a presence. You're taking a passive approach and letting others come to you. There's nothing wrong with that, if that's all you're after.
If your goal is to connect with new colleagues, come up with new ideas, and find new business, "it" won't work unless you participate and contribute. How are new contacts supposed to notice you online if you never say anything? I venture to guess most professionals probably do not dedicate their time to simply reading through a list of member profiles. In order to be noticed, in order to cultivate an image as an expert or as a resource, you must participate.
It seems everyone is talking about social marketing these days, and the smart social marketers have recognized that the way to sell online today is to be helpful, interested, and responsive. Whatever you're selling - be it your destination, your facility, your services, your product, your expertise, or your sunny disposition - social media is all about engagement and interaction.
You can't meet someone new until you start a conversation. No one will know what you need until you post your request. You won't get a LinkedIn answer until you ask a question. It's hard to gain Twitter followers until you start following others. People won't visit your Facebook fan page if you don't tell them it's there. Industry discussion groups won't know what you have to offer until you start answering questions and entering conversations.
A web presence is one thing, but it's only the beginning. In today's online environments, it's not really enough to just sign up and sit back, expecting to be found. You need to go out and find your potential clients or your potential partners or your potential mentors, and you need to begin a conversation. It could be as simple as following the people who follow one of your favorite Tweeple. It could be as easy as asking for a recommendation from an industry listserv. It could take only the time necessary to compose a blog post for an industry Ning group. It could only require an occasional answer to an industry discussion forum. The point is that social media takes active use and contribution of some sort to result in success.
You can't really just add your name to the group membership list and then say it's not working for you. That's like leaving the vaccum in the closet and saying it doesn't keep your carpets clean.
"It" only works if you use it.
Serenity J. Knutson, Editor in Chief
PlannerWire.com
Serenity@PlannerWire.com
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