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by Renee Fellows

September 29, 2008 —

Today, there’s Skype, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and a ton of other social media outlets to explore. These are not only social outlets, but growing business and marketing outlets, if you know what you’re doing. To the over-30-year-old set, these networks may seem like a virtual re-run of Seinfeld, where every day brings another set of obscure thoughts and where nothing ever happens.  But hang out for a few days or even weeks and you’ll begin to see an emerging pattern of not only people’s lives, but what’s truly important to them and how they balance their lives with their work. Ah, yes..work!  There’s the real reason that you’re interested in this article. From the posts you’ll find the products that they use, the problems the users face with the products, and more importantly the solutions that they would wish to see if they were running your company.

What is Twitter?

Let’s start with the basics. There are several forms of social media currently in existence and popular in the virtual world. The top players are:

Blogs – these are usually written pieces in traditional paragraph form that focus on a statement, story, opinion or analysis of an event or situation. Blogs can range from personal diatribes to conversations about a product, service or theoretical concept. Blogs basically open the door for further conversation by starting a topic string and then, in effect, saying “Go, it’s your turn to talk now.”

Twitter – is a social messaging and web service that allows its over 2 million users to ‘chat’ in abbreviated 140-character conversations. Chat about what, you ask? Just about anything.  Again the range of conversations wholly depends on whom is being ‘followed’ and what the Twitterer has to contribute.

Instant Messaging (IM) – login and list your IM buddies and begin chatting. Conversations are private between you and your intended friend. Multiple individuals can be invited into conversations and can also elect to leave the conversation. Popular IMs are MSN, AOL, Yahoo, and GoogleTalk. New technologies let you IM from your BlackBerry or other portable device.

Networking tools – such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, FaceBook, MySpace allow you to find friends, high school pals, and learn about your contacts on a more personal level.  See my Dark Side note below for a few cautions.  Businesses and nonprofits are finding a home in places like FaceBook because segmentation provides easy access to their audiences.

YouTube – online video sharing. These can be personal videos or even pieces of Ronin and Martin’s Laugh In, if you wish. It all depends on your interests.  Major brands like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s are using YouTube to let their customers create television and online ads and actively participate in the brand.

What can you do for social media?

There really are no limits to what you can gain from social networking, however, it’s important to know that social networking requires a “what can I do for you?” attitude rather than a “what’s in it for me?” approach.  Based in face-to-face networking, social networking has many of the same rules, 1) be honest, 2) don’t over-pitch your business or clients, 3) be reliable and, 4) be a good person.

“Not only are social networking sites fantastic when it comes to acquiring new clients, but they are fabulous vehicles for establishing powerful joint ventures,” says Laurie Santos, Chief “Extreme” Officer for Extreme Dream Training & Coaching.  “Because of the generosity of several of the Facebook members, I've gotten a whole new list of supporters who check-in on me and my business regularly by offering up ideas, thoughts, and constructive criticism on how to run my business more effectively. Through many of these sites, I've gained an incredible board of advisors whom I know have my best interest at heart.”

Times they are a changing, says the Bob Dylan song and that means businesses, marketers and networkers need to change with it or become obsolete.  “The Internet really diffuses audiences so you have to be in many places at once,” says Gretel Going at Channelvmedia.com.  “Social media can often meet clients’ needs to reach out while keeping it cost effective and current.”

Even I have joined the technology and social media revolution.  When I started this story, I used my own set of social networks to ask for help.  One request on HelpaReporter.com, a free public relations networking group for over 31,000 journalists, freelance writers, and business executives delivered hundreds (yes, I said hundreds) of email responses within a few hours of the post.  Social media is obviously a hot topic and one that all of the responders were extremely passionate about sharing.  I’ve met and Tweeted new people today and regularly use HARO as part of my work day. I’d be lost without it.

Below are a few of the key areas where social media enhances marketing communications programs and works for Adam and Wendy Leidhecker, owners of Paw Luxury (www.Pawlux.com), an eco-friendly pet product company specializing items for the furry member of your family.  Take a look and see where your business may fit in.

1. Branding – Multiple age demographics are stepping into the online arena. Talk to them and build your brand.  
2. Customer Engagement – Create an interception point where you can then leverage your customers and better understand their wants and needs.
3. Drive Web TrafficSocial Media acts as a portal point for driving traffic to both web sites and blogs.  Twitter is great for getting news briefings, friend sourcing when you are looking for services, micro-attention sharing to let people know about your latest blog post or something funny and entertaining you found on the web. 
4.  New Customer Acquisition - Social Media gives an opportunity to find consumers you may have not otherwise discovered and correspond with them on a personal level.
5. Client Retention – Online networking opportunities provide another potential way to build relationships with your loyal consumer.  Use them well and you will see the benefits.
6. The Viral Effect - Take word of mouth to a whole new level. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. Social Media is attracting quite a crowd.
7. Feedback Mechanism - Using social media applications that are available such as GoogleAlerts and TweetBeep can help you to better understand consumer behavior based on the sharing of content and commentary on these social networking sites.
8. Promote Awareness -  If you have a cause or other ‘message’ that you wish to put out to the masses, social media is a great tool to help find like-minded people.
9. Return on Investment –That’s right, there are sales dollars that can be directly associated with connections your business makes online.  Sell tickets to a seminar, get hired to develop a marketing campaign, or sell product to a new customer; the possibilities are limitless.

Bear in mind that there is a dark side to all of this social networking too.  Others can create an image of you that is at best unflattering and at worst, career-ending.  Once you decide to enter social media space, it becomes your responsibility to act appropriately.  That means a setting a clear delineation between your social personal life and your professional life.  Many social gurus choose to do exactly that by keeping two separate circles of online friends; one for those who are friends and family and a distinctly separate professional network.  FaceBook and MySpace appear to be the biggest offenders of the dreaded Ex Syndrome that applies to mostly the twentysomethings.  These Gen-Yers were the alpha testers of FaceBook and MySpace and were too young to realize the implications of putting their entire personal lives online for the entire world to read.  Now heading into their late 20’s they are faced with pages of suggestive photos and conversations that potential employers may frown upon.  Welcome capitalism and companies who specialize in erasing those embarrassing segments of one’s life from the Internet.  Necessity truly is the mother of invention.

How is social media different from their other forms of marketing and public relations?

Understand that marketing and public relations is all about talking to your audiences in a way that is personal and pertinent.  In that vein, social media is still a largely undefined discipline in terms of whose jurisdiction it falls under.  “Given that social media involves media, the media planning team should have a hand in whatever strategy you develop,” says Adam Broitman, Director of Strategy and Ringleader at Crayon, a company specializing in new marketing for a new consumer.  “At the same time, outreach is a large part of social media—this function falls much closer to the skill set of a PR professional.  Clients are still having a hard time deciphering where the responsibilities of a social media strategy fall.  That is where Crayon comes in—we work with clients and marketers alike to help align the entire enterprise with a unified vision.”

Still feel like you’re not ‘getting it?’  You’re not alone, but it will benefit you to learn and understand this new technology.  “People on the outside of Twitter and social media see the whole thing as a big waste of time, because they don’t realize how the web is wired in that if you speak it on the web, there is a way to track it,” says Dan Rockwell, Insight Translation Associate (i.e. fixer of brands) at Lextant, a design research firm in Columbus, OH.  “Tracking, monitoring, and actively participating in that scene puts your brand on the radar with these people, and it creates a unique engagement factor for your business that could be fairly easy to maintain.”

What’s in the Crystal Ball?

The future is unclear for social media.  Experts and early adapters believe that it’s here to stay but eagerly await new tools to help streamline responses and manage the sometimes ungainly lists of followers.  “They [media outlets] are offering exciting and new platforms for people to interact with one another, and for businesses to interact with their fans and customers,” says Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer for Marketing Profs.  “At MarketingProfs, I've deepened my relationship with our readers, found myself better equipped to respond to market dynamics, and even sold a seat or two to our upcoming event next month in Arizona.  In other words, this isn't "feel good" interaction: this is real ROI.  There's already a lot of great interaction going on, and those businesses who have embraced the tools, like we have, see the powerful value they can add.”

So fellow business owners, I lay down the gauntlet and challenge you to stretch your skills and try social media.  Don’t just hit the Twitter home page and decide instantly that it’s not for you.  Stay a while and follow some of your mentors.  Listen. You’ll find a whole new world of networking opportunities open to you if you simply ask, ‘how can I help you today?’

Renee Fellows has spent much of her career working in marketing and public relations for major manufacturing, health care, and small business environments.  She is a freelance writer for small business and can be reached at RFellows@oneclearpoint.com.

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