Sound Solutions: North Bank Audio Solutions

Social networking is all the buzz nowadays. Many of my clients, friends and colleagues who would have laughed at the idea a year ago have now jumped on the social networking bandwagon. Social networking lingo (apps, tweets etc.) have become commonplace in the coaching and consulting industry and there are even coaches and consultants who specialize in social networking!

I’m going to preface this by saying that social networking, all-in-all, is a great thing and can and does pay off for many people who use it as a viable marketing strategy. I have a client who claims that Facebook is her #2 source of new leads! Great connections have been made on social networking sites and they are a fantastic way to stay in touch with people you meet at events or clients and friends who live in different parts of the country or world.

But - with any new craze, approach social networking with due skepticism. Remember the “Dot Com Boom” of the late 1990’s? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Here are some social tips to ensure that you don’t become a “social networking sucker.”

1. If you’re treating it as a part of your online marketing strategy, treat it just like you would any other tactic. Make sure that you’re planning your social networking campaigns and then testing and tracking the results. Focus on what achieves results, not what some faux guru says you should do.
2. Consider the return on investment with each “social networking venture.” Even though social networking is free in terms of dollars, it’s not in terms of your time. Is there another way you could be marketing your business that could be delegated or automated more easily? Is there another strategy that could be completed in less time? Is there something else that your business depends on that you’re putting off because it’s not as fun as playing with your Facebook profile or posting on Twitter?
3. Set aside time for social networking and don’t play with while you’re doing other things. This is something that I have a particularly hard time with myself. It’s important to make an effort not to multi task or piddle away too much valuable time with social networking.
4. Keep in mind that social networking sites are there for a reason - to make money (not for you, for them.) They are designed to be fun and addictive, not necessarily with your business’s best interests in mind.
5. Don’t get caught up in the flavor of the week. There are new social networking sites popping up all the time. Before setting up an account and investing your valuable time with one, see who’s using it and what kind of results they’re getting. You’re better off sticking with a few sites than having to manage dozens of different memberships.
6. Automate and delegate as much as possible. Have an assistant go through and complete tasks you find yourself doing all the time (approving comments, posting blog posts, accepting friend requests, conducting research etc.) If you are using multiple social networking tools at once, use a service like http://www.hellotxt.com to update your status in all of them in one swoop rather than doing each one manually.
7. Always be asking yourself these questions:
   • Am I doing this because it’s working or because it’s fun?
   • Is this the best use of my time right now?
   • Do your ideal clients or business partners actually “hang out” on social networking sites?
   • If so, are you following the proper etiquette when contacting them?

Make sure to follow these tips when you’re using social networking sites and you’ll be sure reap all the benefits of this new technology without falling victim to “social networking suckerdom.”

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