Over the last two years I have attended various events and presentations regarding “social networking”. I have read articles, had conversations and even presented on the topic. It has become clear to me that social networking is big and growing. People are either involved, getting involved or wondering if they should be involved.
And why not, it’s a great tool and easy to use. Right? Jump on line, sign up and search for people you know. Add friends to Facebook, “Link” people in, “follow” people on Twitter. Great…now what? You are all signed up, you check the site every day, and occasionally post something. You are “social networking”. Now we can just sit back and watch our business grow, or the job opportunities roll in, or our brand recognition increase, etc.
Unfortunately that isn’t how it works in most cases. Joining Linkedin.com, facebook.com, twitter.com, etc. are steps in the social networking process but are just the first steps. These are the tools that allow social networking to be effective. Now there needs to be a plan, a goal, a focused agenda for what you are trying to accomplish.
These goals may vary. Who is your target client? Are you selling retail or business to business? Is your responsibility marketing, PR or sales? Is your goal long term branding or are you trying to generate leads for today? These questions and more are going to be important in understanding which tool is best for you and leveraging that tool for results.
I was initially an offender. I am on facebook, twitter, linkedin and a few other less main stream sites. I started on facebook and linkedin 3 years ago. Up until 6 months ago, these sites have had little to no positive impact on my ability to drive business for ACS Services. This wasn’t the websites short comings, but my own. I spread myself too thin. I didn’t use these tools with a goal in mind. I was on the sites every day but had no understanding of why I was on the site, what I was looking for or how to best leverage them.
After researching, trial & error, speaking with others and asking myself some of the above questions, I determined that Linkedin was best suited for me. ACS Services sells outsourced IT services to small to mid-sized businesses in the Boston area. This is a very specific and target marketed. Linkedin allows me to search candidates in the area and see if I have any contacts that are connected to them. This is great for referrals or to make a cold call a warm prospect. It has also allowed me to be strategic and efficient about finding good networking partners through Linkedin’s Groups. Unfortunately the use of this site effectively is a whole other blog.
I leave you with this thought. If you are currently “social networking”, think about how you are using these sites. Are you getting what you want from them? Do you have a goal in mind when using the sites? Ask other people how they utilize the different sites. I think we will all find that we are “leaving money on the table.” If you have any questions please feel free to email me at vverducci@acs.com and good luck with your social networking.
-Vincent Verducci, Director of Business Development
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