Social Networking Maximization—Part Deux

written by Adam Cupples (@ACupples)

Last week I wrote a post on Social Networking Maximization and asked my dedicated and fiercely intelligent readers to share any experiences with me on how these “virtual tools” have helped with relationship building.

One of my most loyal readers (besides my Mom… Hi Mom!) Brenna brought up an excellent point.  Many companies fall into this trap. Brenna commented:

 “I follow some businesses I like, only to find out quickly that they’ve set up a Facebook page or Twitter account because someone told them to, without realizing how to use it well. Posts shouldn’t be obligatory, but engaging. I think with social networking it’s not so much about getting your name or logo in someone’s news feed as it is really offering something of interest.”

EXACTLY!!!  Thanks Brenna for articulating the point so well… that would have taken me three posts to get the point across! When I talk to companies, the first, second, and third thing I say about social networking is content, CONTENT, C  O  N T  E  N  T!

If you provide content that is engaging, educational, etc… people, comments, interaction and a magical relationship will follow.  Okay, maybe not magical, but you get my point…

Secondly, just because everyone else has a FB Fan page, Twitter, Blog, it doesn’t mean you need them all. Pick one and focus on it. Develop the engaging content that your followers are looking for and start the conversations, don’t just preach to them.

You can find relevant content anywhere: whether it’s an article you read, an incident that happened at work, or a random thought you want to share. Go deep into using this “virtual tool” of choice.  Don’t start too big and spread yourself thin.  Pick one and run with it.