I was talking with a prospective client recently and he used a "Crawl, Walk, Run" analogy for how he approaches new ideas and technology for his business. I connected with it - it's the way I look at the "latest and greatest" opportunities in online marketing - for myself as well as my clients.
Making Connections With Social Media
Today, it made me think about that approach for Social Media Marketing. Although I leap into some of these new technologies early - I do so to find out what they are all about so I can make solid recommendations to my clients, if and when they are appropriate.
Social media is all about the conversation. Think of it like a coffee shop - everyone's relaxed, enjoying the company, enjoying the conversation and connecting with each other. How can you participate?
Crawl - Approach Slowly
Whether you are a small business, home business or a solopreneur, my guess is that you don't ever really stop thinking about your business! You are always testing, researching, looking for new ways to do business. For me, I like to see what others are doing and then see if I can apply it to my business.
This is where the crawl, walk, run approach happens for me - testing, researching, analyzing results, and making updates or changes based on the results - if they are positive and have improved my reach.
Walk - Stay Focused
While the best approach is to fine tune your marketing for one audience, you should continuously be looking for new opportunities. When it comes to playing in the social media market, staying focused on your business goals and objectives will help you make decisions. This will be important for making budget and time decisions. Most things can look like a good investment, but if they don't fit with your overall business goals, you'll end up wasting time and getting distracted from your real mission.
Run - Have a Plan
Once you are ready and have a plan, let your Analytics (results) guide your decisions. It's important when you make a decision, to commit to it. It won't do any good to have a presence in the social media market if you aren't there joining the conversation. It will be evident if you're absent. So be sure you or someone on your staff can make participating a regular part of your marketing mix. And part of your plan should include reviewing your results every couple of months so you can adjust your approach.
Lastly, keep these things in mind when you've decided to participate in the social media arena:
Ciao for now, Paula
Making Connections With Social Media
Today, it made me think about that approach for Social Media Marketing. Although I leap into some of these new technologies early - I do so to find out what they are all about so I can make solid recommendations to my clients, if and when they are appropriate.
Social media is all about the conversation. Think of it like a coffee shop - everyone's relaxed, enjoying the company, enjoying the conversation and connecting with each other. How can you participate?
Crawl - Approach Slowly
Whether you are a small business, home business or a solopreneur, my guess is that you don't ever really stop thinking about your business! You are always testing, researching, looking for new ways to do business. For me, I like to see what others are doing and then see if I can apply it to my business.
This is where the crawl, walk, run approach happens for me - testing, researching, analyzing results, and making updates or changes based on the results - if they are positive and have improved my reach.
Walk - Stay Focused
While the best approach is to fine tune your marketing for one audience, you should continuously be looking for new opportunities. When it comes to playing in the social media market, staying focused on your business goals and objectives will help you make decisions. This will be important for making budget and time decisions. Most things can look like a good investment, but if they don't fit with your overall business goals, you'll end up wasting time and getting distracted from your real mission.
Run - Have a Plan
Once you are ready and have a plan, let your Analytics (results) guide your decisions. It's important when you make a decision, to commit to it. It won't do any good to have a presence in the social media market if you aren't there joining the conversation. It will be evident if you're absent. So be sure you or someone on your staff can make participating a regular part of your marketing mix. And part of your plan should include reviewing your results every couple of months so you can adjust your approach.
Lastly, keep these things in mind when you've decided to participate in the social media arena:
- Be part of the conversation.
- Listen to others.
- Encourage with transparency and sincerity.
Ciao for now, Paula
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