Here’s why so few people get the marketing results they want from social media tools like blogging, Twitter, FaceBook etc.
If you wanted someone to make you a superbly crafted piece of handmade, wooden furniture, you would go to an experienced carpenter or cabinet maker. You know that it takes training and dedication in order to develop the skills required, to build beautiful furniture. You wouldn’t just buy yourself; a hammer, a saw, some wood and nails etc, and expect to immediately be ‘gifted’ the skills required to build it yourself.
For some reason, many people seem to think that different rules apply to anything connected to the Internet!
In marketing, I see people every day, who believe that just because the tools exist online, to help them build a network or community, that all they need to do is start using them. Then, they start blogging, using FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc and wonder why they see very little commercial progress.
It would be just like giving me a carpenter’s tools and expecting me to build some beautiful furniture – I would end up with nothing more than bruised thumbs and an ugly pile of wood!
The best most people achieve from their online community / network building, is to develop lots of ‘links’ with others, who are equally unaware how to commercially benefit from all these tools.
If you are serious about using social media tools to help you improve your marketing, don’t end up with bruised thumbs! Learn the fundimentals of community building AND THEN start using these amazingly powerful tools.
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Hi Jim
This is interesting you post this, as I am fairly new to Twitter, Blogging etc so am still learning the ropes on how to benefit commercially from it. I do like the analogies! Very pertinent.
Jeremy
Jeremy,
Thanks for the comment. There’s a lot to learn, but the rewards can be huge.
A very apt posting.
A lot of my clients say that “they should get on Twitter” or that they need “to build their community on facebook” etc but they do not have a plan around it at all!
They do it for the sake of doing it which is madness!
I use lots of social media to build my network but then I actually talk to the ones I need to!
I don’t just leave the relationship in cyberspace!
So use social media by all means but:
1. Have a strategy and know exactly why you are using it and what you are using it for
2. Use it is a tool for building relationships but use it to open doors and then actually SPEAK to the contacts you need to!
Sean
Sean McPheat
The Sales Jedi
MTD Sales Training
Sean,
Thanks for the comment Sean. It’s sad to see so many people invest so much time in social media, for such a poor return.
This is not helped by the thousands of people, now calling themselves ’social media gurus’ – who seem to know very little about community building (and even less about marketing.)
Everybody’s hopping on the social media bandwagon, but it seems to me that for most people it’s just a way to avoid the “hard work” of marketing. That is getting out their meeting people and selling your products or services. Sure I’ve got lots of friends on Facebook and colleagues on LinkedIn, but until I connect with them one-to-one in a real dialogue, I’m never going to make a single sale. Also the skills that make you a good user of social media marketing are pretty much the same skills that made you a good networker before there was web 2.0
Marjorie,
Thanks for the comment. You make a number of very good points. Social media is not a replacement for marketing, it’s just a tool. We still need to speak with people, look after them and then (shock horror) do some ‘real’ business!!
Hi Jim,
Great post!
Having just recently begun using social media, I now understand the importance of seeing it as part of your overall marketing mix.
I aggree with Majorie- alot of the skills you need with SM are the same as with traditional marketing and PR, however, I see your point about hiring a professional who understands the medium fully.
Fab blog will be subscribing from now on.
Great post, I totally agree. Would you rather have something done, or something done right? Putting a marketing campaign on Facebook, etc. may get a lot of eyes to see it, however you will have to use a detailed marketing plan to achieve your desired results.
Great post. Too often people think social media is easy and are disappointed if they don’t get great results right away. They need to realize you can get great results, but the time and effort to learn the craft must be put forth as well.
Thanks for the great information Jim.
The blog is excellent and gives some real practical advice that can help improve your marketing.
We will definately be following it (and your advice) from now on!