| By Bob DeStefano
If you follow the latest trends in online marketing, and maybe even if you don’t, you are probably hearing plenty of buzz about social media. Marketing professionals throughout the world are praising social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as the answer to all of our marketing prayers.
So, what is social media and should you jump on the marketing bandwagon? In this article, my goal is to separate the hype from the helpful in social media marketing so you can figure out if your business should dive in and integrate social media into your marketing mix.
Social media Websites provide an online platform for like-minded individuals to connect, share ideas and communicate. Some of the most popular social media sites include the following:
- Facebook is a place for friends. It’s all about “who you know” and provides a platform for friends to connect (or reconnect) and share ideas, happenings, photos and other information. Some companies are setting up outposts on Facebook, called “Fan Pages,” to market their business and connect with customers. However, in my opinion, who wants to be “friends” with a company?
- Twitter is a place for broadcasting ideas. Where Facebook is about “who you know,” Twitter is about “what you know.” Twitter provides a platform for people to broadcast 140 character messages, called “Tweets” to their “Followers.” People can choose to follow others and receive all their Tweets as soon as they are posted. Some companies are using Twitter as a listening tool, monitoring their customer’s Tweets to hear what’s being said about their products or services. Other companies are using Twitter to broadcast exclusive offers and specials to their customers. To me, Twitter just seems like a lot of shouting.
- LinkedIn is a place for professional networking. In many ways it’s like an interactive resume on steroids, allowing individuals to post multimedia content demonstrating their expertise, work experience, education and accomplishments. It also allows you to connect with other colleagues, in most cases providing you with access to their network of connections. In my opinion, LinkedIn is the best business tool of the bunch. It allows you to market yourself and manage your personal brand. In addition, LinkedIn is a great tool for salespeople looking to expand their network to open doors at target companies.
As an industrial or B-to-B services company, should you embrace social media as a marketing tool? My answer is…maybe. If you haven’t already, I recommend you setup a LinkedIn profile for yourself - it’s very easy to do and can’t hurt. As for Facebook and Twitter, I recommend you proceed cautiously. If you see obvious business-building benefits for using Facebook and Twitter, then jump in and give them a try. If not, you may want to put them on hold for now.
In my experience, too many industrial and B-to-B services companies are still struggling with the basics of online marketing to waste their time and money dabbling in social media. If you agree with all of the following statements, then give social media marketing a try:
- My Website is my most powerful marketing tool.
- My Website generates all of the leads I need to support my business.
- My company is on the first page of Google for every popular phrase my customers use.
- Email marketing helps my company nurture new customers and generate repeat business
- I know that I am generating a strong return on investment for every dollar I spend on marketing.
If you do not agree with any of these statements, then put marketing on Facebook and Twitter on hold for now and focus your time and marketing dollars on your Website, search engine marketing, email marketing, marketing analytics and other tried and true marketing tactics.
To learn more about how to implement successful online marketing strategies, I encourage you to download our free Online Marketing Planning Guides, as well as a request a free Website Analysis.
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