Twitter Me This

It seems that everyone is on YouFaceLinkTwitBook and many businesses are sitting watching it all in a state of bewilderment. Everyone’s at it but is it worth the investment of time?

Here’s my take on it.

Businesses are like sharks: always looking for opportunities to exploit, always moving and you’ve got to keep moving on the Internet haven’t you?  You’ve got to be Twittering on your blackberry whilst FaceBooking on your laptop and Instant Messaging on you iPhone, haven’t you?

No, you haven’t.

The truth is that too often businesses are looking for quick fixes to accelerate their income and the Internet is rife with people professing every instant magical overnight million-pound trick.  (Gradually we’re becoming cute to it.)  However, it’s human nature to look for short-cuts and to take the path of least resistance – enter social networking – the new kid on the internet block and seemingly a rich vein to mine.  It has the trappings of a quick-fix and people love a quick-fix.

However, my wise friend, don’t be beguiled by the technology or by the millions of people tweeting their hearts out.  It’s not that there’s anything fundamentally wrong with any social marketing it’s that most businesses jump on the band-wagon before fixing the more important marketing failures.

Ask youself this…

• Is your website up-to-date?
• Does it represent your business accurately?
• Are you using at least 5 different forms of online market to sustain and develop your online income?
• Have you successfully integrated offline marketing with your online marketing?

Once you’ve got the basics in place you’re in the perfect position to exploit social marketing because you’ve done the groundwork.

Too often we’re railroaded into following the latest technology trend just because everyone’s doing it.  I can’t tell you how many business consultancy meetings I’ve sat in and the whole Social Networking question has been raised – “don’t you think we should be XYZ’ing”.  And honestly, for 99% of businesses it’s a waste of their energies.

Getting people to write a decent sales page or update their news page is a major stress leave alone the idea that they should video themselves and post it to YouTube!

Herein lies the issue.  Just because everyone gets excited by the technology doesn’t mean that there are easy opportunities in it.  And just because others are doing it definitely doesn’t mean that you should be.  There’s no doubt that social networking can be successful and no doubt that some businesses are using it to great effect BUT for before you consider doing it make sure you’ve got the marketing basics in place first.  (It will make your social marketing x10 more effective.)

In summary;

1. Don’t do what most do and gadfly about rushing to and from the latest marketing fad.
2. Get the marketing basics in place to support your website BEFORE doing any social marketing.
3. Be consistent – keep up your efforts and don’t expect instant returns from any endeavour.

If you’ve done all 3 why not tweet me at my online marketing twitter account and tell me about it.