Whether you’re speaking at an industry convention in New York or posting across social media platforms, you need to know your audience.
A well-rehearsed keynote speech delivered in the venue’s Ambassador Room may be choreographed to include light cues, presentation slides, and even holds for applause. The hitch with social media (besides the fact it’s a dialogue, not a soliloquy) is that there is not just one single stage.
Picture that same hotel with its labyrinth of grand ballrooms and deluxe executive meeting suites full of people dispersed over tons of square footage, yet separated by walls. Outside of that square footage are the 8 million+ New Yorkers. As a microcosm of the social media universe:
- Which of those spaces contain your audience?
- How can you make the best use of your time to address the ones who will positively impact your business?
- Which platforms support your most solid social media strategy?
- Couple things to remember:
- Social media is not a popularity contest — at least not in the context that you need to be everywhere.
- You don’t necessarily want to jump on the bandwagon of a new (or existing) platform until you assess whether or not it is the right fit.
- If you really think you can effectively manage the full complement of social media platforms while remaining fresh, purposeful, and engaging, you may find that level of intensity very difficult to maintain over an extended period of time.
- Best advice? Select three solid platforms and work the heck out of ‘em.
The ubiquitous social media platform; it is really a must for everyone. In addition to the classic personal page that keeps you connected with your pals, relatives (and those high school classmates you forgot about completely until they sent you a friend request!); both solopreneurs and corporate giants need a business page with a professionally designed and branded banner.
Google+
Well, besides the fact that it is Google, this platform offers a great deal of flexibility and is easy to navigate. It is nicely designed and if used wisely you can stand out, get ahead of the late-adopters, and enjoy a boost to your page rank courtesy of shared links.
YouTube
Again, you may not have anything “shiny” to video, but as a preeminent search engine and for packing some SEO punch, it is a winner. We have clients in the construction industry. Creating videos for the DIY sect has been huge for them. They’ve helped people learn how to do simple repairs while establishing themselves as: 1. The experts; 2. The company willing to share their knowledge; 3. The go-to resources for larger jobs requiring advanced skill sets.
This is a spectacular resource and offers a stellar opportunity to showcase knowledge and find legitimate professionals. I would recommend researching first how your competitors use it and if it is effective for your line of work. It is absolutely worth it to create profiles so a “record” of you and your business exists on that platform, but there may be better ones on which to spend your time, or simply allocate your time proportionate to the ROP (Return on Platform).
There was an initial prejudice that Pinterest was only worthwhile if you had great images of your products to post, but it has proven a practical place to show insight into a company’s culture and put a face to volunteers at a non-profit, awards given to the people behind the business, etc. Not for everyone, but like anything else, used wisely and well Pinterest will yield interest.
What’s the Limelight at the end of the tunnel? When assessing your social media strategy, be wherever your current and prospective clients are.
