Social Media Strategies ... OK, Sure!

I just was in a question and answer section of a social network I belong to and one of the questions was if anyone had a Web.2 social networking strategy they could provide.

The answers went on and on providing listings of "to-do's" -- write articles, do press releases, create a blog, join facebook and other social networks, start a group, participate with a nonprofit, and on and on and on!! A whirwind of activities that could leave you exhausted.

FIRST ... the very idea that there could be an "across the board" social networking strategy defeats the purpose of Web.2. Web.2 is all about individual one-to-one communications ( albeit, en mass one-to-one) that build relationships. So right off the bat what will work for one company or business will not necesarily work for anther. Even if you use the same "tools," as I refer to the "to do's" listed above, they would have to be implemented differently per individual company communication goal.

The best approach to beginning your social networking marketing activities is to determine your own communication strategy. If the internet wasn't in the picture at all ... how would you begin conversations with the people you need to meet. On what level would you approach them. Also who would you try to meet to introduce you to those with whom you want a relationship? Get this down on paper. Understand what you are trying to do.

THEN .... go to the "tools" and determine "if" they can be used for your objectives. You will find that each "tool" has a different focus. Work with it and find out "how" you can best make use of that "focus" to support your communications strategy. Some of the more obvious tools just might not be useful for your needs ... fancy that! Then again, maybe some of the more obvious tools have to be used for just a certain part of your communication strategy.

Some specific examples ... two social networks are LinkedIn and Facebook. LinkedIn is all about business. Ask a business question, connect with someone for business reasons, answer a business question ... here you can "go for it!" Facebook on the other hand is more social. Business can successfully enter the picture only after a certain amount of non-businesss rapport has been created.

Hope this makes sense to you all ...

Keep you businss garden growing ...
margie