How would you react if Twitter magically disappeared tomorrow?
What have you learned from microblogging and social media that will help you move the needle forward in your own life?
It’s nine in the evening as I write this post, and I’d like to share some thoughts on the changing face of social media and how it relates to the way people search Online.
Social Networks are Your Platform
Twitter is a useful tool. I use it to communicate with fans, followers, colleagues, and cool people who I can learn from and share with. Sometimes I post to Twitter using the website, other times I use API’s or third party networks like Delicious and Bit.ly.
The fantastic thing about Twitter is how potent it is. Everyone wants a slice of its popularity so you can now add ‘@’ replies to your Facebook status and the update appears on Twitter. You can share Delicious bookmarks and YouTube videos via real time too.
What this teaches me is that we should think beyond the tweet and utilize a full suite of networking sites, because social media is a platform. Don’t get caught choosing between one service or another…try ‘em all!
Twitter users are one tribe, Facebookers another, and the YouTube crowd? They’re on another plane entirely. My point is your reach grows exponentially when you learn the different ways people consume information (video, 140 characters, pictures, links to new websites). Cross promote and conquer.
Targeted Search Trims the Fat
Alright, social media is great. We use it to meet new people, keep up on world events, and jump start new businesses and projects. But the bigger picture has to do with inbound marketing.
The world of search isn’t like newspapers or mediums that rely on pushing ads onto people who aren’t looking, or worse, have no interest in them. That’s wasteful.
Your friends and neighbors give the search engines permission to serve them relevant information. If you want a share of the search pie, it’s critical you carefully consider the who the content is meant for. Next comes keywords to optimize for, curating the perfect landing page, and distributing the material everywhere your audience roams (not to push it, but to make it easy for them to find it).
Which is how we get back to Twitter.
Social media is part of an intelligent search strategy, but it’s up to you to decide how deep it is and how relevant it is to your target audience. Let’s assume for a second that Twitter did up and disappear tomorrow. Now you’re left with billions of searchers who still demand information on their terms, that they permit through the door.
How would you build a search strategy that promotes your personal or business brand to achieve a targeted, permission based result?