Joining Twitter and Facebook could be the worst mistake your business ever makes.
You heard me correctly.
Signing up for social networks without thinking your process through could ruin you. See, a lot of companies hear how popular social networks are and think they need to be part of the next big thing.
But ask yourself a few questions first:
- Am I neglecting my most profitable online presence (my website) now that I use Twitter and Facebook?
- How thoughtfully do I participate on the social networks?
Social Network Pecking Order
This post must appear like I’ve gone off reservation. Well trust me, I haven’t. I believe social media — done right — is a killer way to build a brand that can beat traditional forms of advertising. But that doesn’t mean you can stop investing in your business website. Don’t forsake a really complete, SEO optimized website for an ok site and a mediocre social media presence.
Think about it this way: Where do you want to drive people who visit your Twitter and Facebook profile? I really hope you’re thinking, “My website of course!”
So let’s connect the dots in my logic here. You put together a social profile for your business and begin communicating on the web. Then visitors start checking out your website, which has blank or incomplete pages, outdated information, or maybe just a poor design. What is that visitor going to think about your company now?
Your website is an opportunity to share a curated message about how you can help people
True Costs of Admission
Finally, let’s consider what it really costs to build and manage a good to great social profile on Twitter or Facebook. These networks are free to join, but they aren’t really ‘free’. If you’re determined to make an impact it’s critical to assign a dedicated employee to oversee your efforts, or else sacrifice hours out of your day to manage it yourself.
Do you or your employees have the time to successfully manage these campaigns?
If so, then make sure you’re following up with the people who express interest. And focus on growing your total audience so that the time/money you spend is justified (4 hours per day on Facebook, communicating with 20 fans is a poor return on your investment). And remember that networking is about building awareness instead of selling.
On the other hand, don’t be ashamed of sitting on the sidelines of the social web until your website is up to date. You can still participate with a personal account to get the hang of it!
Props to my friend Matt for inspiring this post