Find Your Place in Social Media

There’s a ton of Internet out there, and with it comes a ton of social media.  A daily visit to Mashable will show you that the possibilities are virtually limitless, and still growing.  Maybe you’ve find yourself faced with dilemma as to where to spend your time.  You might also be wondering if joining social networks is a step worth taking for your organization.  Even if you’ve decided to dive in, where should you go?

While I was in the hot seat last week, I made the statement that just because something is the hot new thing doesn’t mean it’s your recipe for success.  On a personal level, I recommend trying out social networks you may be interested in (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.)  They may or may not work for you, and that’s the beauty in the option to deactivate an account.  With your organization, you may be spending a lot of time researching where people are.  Instead, ask how your product can benefit from it.  For example, you may decide to create Facebook and Twitter accounts for your organization because the communities on them are thriving.  They are also buzzworthy these days; feautred on commercials and news reports on a frequent basis.  For now, it seems like a given to be on them.

When it comes to social media, be ready for change.  Over the years, I watched my friends migrate from MySpace to Facebook, and then I saw Facebook bring in people I NEVER thought I would be able to communicate with outside of a telephone call and a Christmas card.  Now, I’m watching the Twitter community grow with one of the main reasons being people liking how simple it is and it being something very easily handled from a mobile device… even if your phone is a dinosaur. 

You have to know that people will migrate again.  There will be something else coming along that peaks the interest of a mass audience.  These are places to be.  However, always ask yourself how you will benefit.  There’s no sense in you or your organization having a YouTube channel if it’s just going to sit there.  If you already have an effective way of reaching your core audience, keep it.  If you’re reaching out to new people, be ready to look for new ways to connect. 

Whatever you do, don’t forget to keep it simple in the process (more on this in a future post.)