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Social is a hot topic these days. From social media to social networking to social business, add the word “social” to a conversation and watch the buzz unfold. Even The Economist has gotten into the act with its recent 20-page Special Report on Social Networking. The report suggests that social networks are “just the beginning of an exciting new era of global interconnectedness that will spread ideas and innovations around the world faster than ever before.”
As a communication professional, you have a good understanding of how online social platforms and tools can be used to help your bosses, co-workers, customers and clients connect. As a business owner, it’s imperative that you are actively leveraging these tools. It is no longer OK to sit on the sidelines and lurk; if you’re not searchable these days, you’re going to be increasingly unfindable. And what business can afford to be invisible?
While there are no barriers to entry into the online world, the vast array of options can leave even the social-media-savviest businessperson overwhelmed. One way to approach whether a particular online social presence is appropriate for you is to apply a three-pronged test:
- Will it help me be found?
- Will it help me connect with my audience?
- Will it help me identify new business?
Let’s look at each of these three more closely.
Getting found
There’s a science to search, which is why search engine optimization (SEO) specialists are in such high demand and Google has made its name and money off of keywords and adwords. The good news is that there are some simple steps the rest of us can take to be found.
According to the State of Small Business Report, only 53 percent of small businesses have a web site and fewer than 20 percent are using social media. If you’re doing either (or both), then you already have one competitive advantage over your business peers. Another way to draw attention is to add a blog.
According to Hubspot, “companies that blog have far better business results,” including 55 percent more web traffic and 434 percent more indexed pages. A follow-up study by Hubspot found that “active blogs are associated with and likely have an impact on site traffic. This finding coincides with common sense: Out of large chunks of business-relevant content (one post per weekday), blog readers will likely find something engaging and proceed to learn more about a company.”
In other words, your clients, colleagues and prospects have a reason to visit you—and search engines have something new to index. While new content has always been valued, it’s even more important in today’s “real-time” search environment.
In addition to web sites and blogs, another big way to be visible is to do what John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing, calls “claiming your real estate.” Jantsch says that “social sites should be seen as brand assets, and business owners should build them out as such.” He suggests claiming your name widely, and recommends that business owners build profiles on such sites as Entrepreneur Connect, Business Exchange, BizNik, Open Forum, StartupNation and BizSugar.
In addition, everyone should set up a Google profile (which is indexed at the bottom of page one of Google search results) and a Google Local Business Center listing.
Connecting
While being found is important, connecting with your audience is critical. This is where you need to go from staking a claim to investing real time and effort. And too often, business owners set out to plant flags on today’s big five social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, blogs) without first asking: Where is my audience?
If your audience is other communication pros, then chances are you’ll find them on LinkedIn or Twitter. But if they’re restauranteurs, mall owners or hotel chains, then maybe you ought to be exploring Foursquare or Gowalla. Or perhaps you have a niche market that’s represented on Ning. In other words, it’s not about being active, but being active online in a smart way. And don’t forget to seek out people where you play; just as the parent sitting next to you at your son’s t-ball game might be your next big client, so might the sports fan you’re commiserating with on the Chicago Cubs Facebook fan page.
Acting
If social media are about connecting and engaging, business is about turning these touch points into opportunities (i.e., conversion). Which is why the third prong of the social business test has everything to do with participating in networks that will yield actionable business intelligence and outcomes.
For example, while a complete LinkedIn profile can help you be found, having a robust network can help you conduct market research on a growing number of individuals and companies. And it’s not just pulling up where the prospect you’re meeting with went to college or worked last year; it’s also about being able to track the movement of people over time and to glean data on company priorities.
Of course, it’s also important to track the conversation—about you, your business, your competitors and the organizations you work with. There are a lot of good, free monitoring tools to help you, including Google Alerts, RSS feeds, Twitter Search and Social Mention.
Finally, remember that you can’t be everywhere, and you don’t have to be. And there’s no rule that says your business must be on any particular platform. What’s hot now (Twitter, Facebook, mobile, local) might be less so tomorrow. So hang out where you want to be found—and where you can find, identify and engage your next business opportunity.
Daria Steigman advises clients on business and communication strategy. She also blogs about business, entrepreneurship and social media on her Independent Thinking Blog. She can be reached at +1 202.244.7651 or
, or via Twitter: @dariasteigman.
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