New & Strange Social Media Requests

Dear Moxie Maven

I keep getting requests from people I know to join networks that I have never heard of in the past. How many of things do I have to belong to anyway? At this rate I would doing far more joining than I ever would participating.

Filling Up Time

Dear Filling Up Time,

I know that I have really only focused a few select social media sites up to this point, but I can tell you there are thousands of them! Some are very industry dependent and others appeal to people of a certain age.

The quick answer to your questions is that you should belong to the networks where you will find your customers, peers, and potential customers.

So, how are you supposed to know if those people are on a particular network? There are a few ways to find this out.

1. Check the demographics. This is usually under the section for advertising. Even though you won’t be advertising on the site, you still need to know who the audience is and if it fits into your current needs.
2. Do a quick tour of the site. Does it look professional and appealing? Take a look at the Terms of Service, the About page, and other pages that might give you an idea of what types of people will use this service.
3. Decipher if it is free or paid, or a mix. In many cases you can sign up for a free account, but to get most of the functionality you will need to pay. These sites can offer a better audience in the end simply because paying creates dedication.

One thing you have to remember, one of your friends invited you to join this new network. If you are unsure as to the benefits it may provide for your business, then pick up the phone and chat with your friend.

Often what you will find is honest answers as to how this new network is supporting your friend’s business. Other times you may find that during sign up they provided your information as someone that might be interested and once they signed up they never really went back.

Social media sites are simply tools that are used to connect and interact with people. The technologies will change, the fads of which site is the “one” to be on will change.

It is ok to change and adapt to the shifts that happen, just remember you don’t have to the first one on the boat and you most certainly don’t have to be the last one off of a sinking ship.

Your social media involvement is like anything else in your business, it needs to be effective, measurable, and integrated.

Before you go signing up and adding more work to your plate, make sure you know that the new site will bring value to your current social media mix, and ask yourself these questions:

• Does it have an audience that you are currently not reaching on another platform?
• Are there tools that will enhance your networking that are currently unavailable on other social media sites?
• How long has this particular social media been around, and does it show enough longevity to add it to my list?

I hope this gives you some insight about determining if a new social media platform is right for you. It will take a little research and maybe a few phone calls to your friends, but in the end the decision to add another social media site is more about how much value it will add to your business.

Published on 9/28/09 in Grand Junction Free Press.