In my last post, I asked a bunch of questions about how to manage my time re social networking, and how to get the best outcome for my SN efforts. Frances Flynn Thorsen is an expert in this, and was good enough to send me a comprehensive response, below:
Me: Where should I concentrate my efforts? Does your answer change if I’m an attorney, or a physical therapist, or run a housecleaning business?
FFT: There are core sites for each of these, including #1 LinkedIn (professional networking), #2 Facebook (engagement), #3 Twitter (“listening” and research) …. additional platforms selected to job and niche market(s).
Me: Should all businesses be networking online, and if so, how much and where?
FFT: Yes. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Initially, select a very limited number of sites and go DEEP. Do not go wide too early.
Me: What strategy, what array of networks, will most effectively yield that customer base?
FFT: The answer to that question depends upon the profession. The three sites I mentioned work across the board to start.
Me: Am I wasting my time on the “community forum” type nets?
FFT: You are not wasting your time there if you have the right tenor and the right approach. Hard sell never works. Sharing works everywhere. Community forum sites and Q&A sites are excellent places to engage. You want to weigh all your options, however, and leverage your presence in places where there is high traffic and significant engagement.
Me: Is Facebook mostly good for family and pics of your grandkids, but not so much for business?
FFT: Facebook has business pages (fan pages) and advertising solutions. There is a delicate balance between personal and business use on profile pages.
Me: Is Twitter better for this? Where should I be spending my time?
FFT: Twitter is good for listening, timed broadcasts, limited engagement. Twitter is very valuable and if you feel like you are floundering there and wasting time, you are! Spend time where you know you are making valuable connections.
Me: If I want to make my posts, tweets, etc. more efficient, is there anything better than Ping for similtaneous postings?
FFT: There are numerous syndication tools. I don’t like many of them. The language and culture of major social media platforms changes a lot from one to the next. Would you study Russian if you were planning a trip to France? I hate to see Twitter posts on Facebook pages … Lots of syndication is terrible in the final analysis.
Me again: I am grateful that Frances Flynn Thorsen took the time to reach out from the middle of cyberspace and answer my questions. I feel a lot better about the process, and I also feel that I can now concentrate my efforts. Here is what she says about her business:
I work with companies and speakers to develop social media best practices and policies and procedures. I also work one-on-one with social media and blog coaching clients.
I design and execute social media engagement plans for select clients and I teach others how to do it themselves. Frankly, I prefer to teach others how to be their own “social media gurus.”
My process starts with a discussion about needs, followed by a comprehensive social media assessment (your web site, blog(s), Facebook presence, Twitter engagement, LinkedIn, question-and-answer forums, and more). We design a social media plan of action tied to goals. That plan is very specific; leverages the most important platforms for your business; and designs yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily engagement plans.
Thanks, Lynne! Ms. Thorsen has some good ideas, and this is well-organized and understandable. Like Kathy, I haven’t invested time in Twitter and I’m glad for my decision. I, too, might have to revisit my choice, but for now, I’m passing. A person just can’t do everything!
Lynne, that was a very useful and interesting post about a common concern. It seems the bottom line is that each individual needs to be able to assess their own priorities and then decide what sites will best fit their goals. I have not invested in Twitter yet and based on this I think I’ll leave it that way. I realize my needs may change along the way. Thanks for following up on your original question.
Kathy
Hi Lynne and thanks for that interview. Very interesting! Now all I need is the time to do what she suggests. I have stopped Twitter, and I really feel that Facebook is for socializing (family and long-lost friends). But, I do it to keep in touch with my Gson who is in the Naval base at Great Lakes, IL. Never have sold a book from Facebook, but some people have gone on my blog because of my tags, and ordered a book, so that’s good. Do you put “tags” on your blogging articles? It has paid off for me.
Good networking! Dodie