Feeling overwhelmed? Here are a few ways to systematize and simplify your Social Media efforts.
Three years ago, the internet’s most popular thought leaders were heralding Web2.0 as an opportunity to increase connectivity and improve communication. It was a chance to listen to each other, spread a message, and create connections without losing our time researching.
But what has happened is the exact opposite. Social media ‘gurus’ have invested thousands of hours in their online brands, often losing track of more important metrics in the process. Prominent users on services such as Twitter and FriendFeed have passed along links indiscriminately, caring less about the content they share and more about the fact that, if anything else, their account is being followed.
These four social media simplification strategies can help you escape the endless shouting match that many social platforms have become. If your social media strategy has turned into a time-sink, use these tactics to ensure that you generate measurable returns from your social marketing efforts.
1) Follow more and contribute less. Make it count.
One of the most successful marketing campaigns of the 20th century had a simple tag line: “Think Different.†The default behavior for social marketers is to yell, often helplessly, into the crowd in search of attention. Think different. Be different. Listen to your users and contribute only when it can help them, giving your messages a significantly higher level of individual value.
2) Ignore metrics that do not contribute to your bottom line.
Your follower count does not matter. Your traffic does not matter. What matters is your ability to use such metrics to create customers, clients, and real results. Ignore pointless metrics and you will see an instant decrease in the amount of time you invest in social media, and another increase in the results that your invested time generates.
3) Measure return on your investment, not just results.
Social media marketing is as much about opportunity cost as it is real results. A week of aggressive marketing through Twitter of Facebook could generate five sales, but that does not mean it is the most profitable option available to you. Measure your social media efforts against the value provided by other avenues of online marketing, and ensure that it remains relatively profitable alongside them.
4) Be an ‘intent’ marketer.
Marketing expert Seth Godin has pointed to the social media world as a playground for marketers that understand metrics. Some have called them ‘intent marketers’, separating them from the crowd of marketers more concerned with visibility than results. Be an intent marketer – use social media not to become the most prominent brand in your industry, but to meet your own targets.