I spent the last couple weeks testing what happens when I link my site to social networks like Facebook and Twitter (I was already linked to my LinkedIn profile). There has been a marked increase in visitors to my site and blog. In this new media world, there are obvious benefits to using social media and networking to encourage new visitors to come to your site. More visitors means more potential clients. After less than two days on Twitter I racked up two dozen Followers without even trying. What's not to like? Some people on there even have tens-of-thousands of people following their "tweets".
But hang on. For one thing, wow - that's a lot of information coming at me all at once. I had information overload after only modest effort. Plus, I bill clients by the hour. Time spent tweeting is time away from building a website for an existing client. And if my clients are all out tweeting, they aren't doing that thing they do, either.
I had been studying the activity of professional social mediacs. How does a small business owner of a product or service manage the time it takes to go make all of these social contacts? You can't spend ALL day at the water cooler.
John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing outlined his routine for social media yesterday. For those of you just starting out in social media it will seem very time-consuming (and perhaps a little OCD). You will probably say that you don't have the time to devote to such a strategy. But keep things in perspective: Rome wasn't built in a day, John Jantsch markets for a living, and even modest effort really does create measurable results.
Here are the goals I've set for myself for 2009:
- Update my Olsen Creative website once a month (I also added news links so there's new content on there every day)
- Post to my Short-term Strategies blog once a week (set to distribute posts to my website and Facebook notes)
- Create and maintain a del.icio.us list of bookmarks (I've started a personal list, but want to create one for business)
- Twitter about olsencreative at the beginning and end of my day (I had a deadline today and didn't tweet about it - just got to work)
- Start a Facebook Page for Olsen Creative
3 comments:
Hey Laura, you are absolutely right, the point of the post was to show that you can create and use a system, any system that works for you, to do all of this stuff.
Your system looks perfect and will help keep you focused on the little steps.
Thanks John! I am encouraging my clients to get involved more with social media. It really is the next generation of targeted, direct marketing. Plus, with a home office, I'm home a lot. It has been a great way for me to get out and shake more hands.
Thank you for your encouragement!
Hi Laura,
you're simply right, the factor of the put up become to expose that you may create and use a device, any device that works for you, to do all of these items.
Your machine seems best and could help preserve you focused on the little steps.
Thanks & Regard
Vinita
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