Right now, think: What’s your latest Twitter entry? What was the last photo you uploaded on your Facebook page? Can you remember or do you have to go and check really quick? Are you nervous or confident about the things you said there?
Social networking is wonderful (in my opinion), but I also notice that it is not without its set of problems in misconceptions. For instance, a lot of people think that social networking platforms are a free-for-all. They think that they can write anything, post anything and even link to anything, even inappropriate or offensive material. Now while there are certain circles that have their own culture and personalities, what should you as a corporation or a business owner do to ensure that your platforms are professional but approachable?
What’s the Purpose?
I personally tend to use the Facebook platform as a socially-connected forum to keep up with the latest events in my locale, upload photos and keep tabs on my tween-ager! That’s about 30% of what I use it for. The remaining percentage, I use for networking with other writing professionals on leads and talking with my editors and contacts that are my other writing/consulting clients.
I use Twitter for the full 140-character networking that it was intended for, but not as much as I do Facebook. I love to read my following/followers links and find information on business topics of interest and more leads. For both platforms though, I’m careful about what I post, when I post it, what I say on the post and consider who’s reading the post. No, I won’t post details about my children, i.e., what schools they attend, their birth dates, ages, etc., nor would I post details about my married life or my husband. Who really wants to know about those things anyway?
But, do all users give the same consideration to this?
Game Rules
There are some ground rules to practicing etiquette in social networking that are both spoken and non-spoken, but many businesses and individuals often do not practice these rules when they are on these social sites. Not only can this be embarrassing and damaging to your online image, but could also be a deterrent in your business goals, or any potential business and any future business dealings with other company’s and clients.
If your corporation wants to utilize and maximize the use of social networking, they should carefully choose the representative who will speak on their site, their blogs and any social networking platforms where they may be. And, not only the company’s representatives, but also employees and freelancers that are associated with the company. In other words, be careful of the way your corporation is portrayed on the social platforms.
Your Company’s Image
What people do on their personal time is definitely their business, without a doubt. Where they go, who they’re with and what they do is their business. But it becomes a company’s business when that individual/employee/representative affect the company’s reputation by posting innappropriate posts, uploading compromising photos or even linking to questionable or irrelevant sites. What does that say about your company?
The point of social networking for businesses is to drive traffic, make connections and gain a following for your company. Social networking is driven by the individuals who are a part of the company and who represent the company online. Make sure that your followers are getting quality and appropriate material.
What can you do to ensure that your company is represented accurately in the social circles?
I am a freelance writer, blogger and professional motivational speaker. I primarily focus on business content, offering my clients strategic marketing strategies for their businesses. I have been an entrepreneur for over 13 years, after having worked extensively in corporate America.
Firstly, an interesting article, thanks!
I’m always reading up on Social Networking; particularly seeking the financial reward for owners of Small Businesses.
Is there any financial reward? I’m genuinely interested in your thoughts on this. Basically, I advise owners of Small & Micro sized Businesses to spend what little marketing budget they have on the more financially impactful channels such as Pay Per Click etc.
What are your thoughts Bridget? I know I have a point but perhaps you can enlighten us as to what extent. ha ha. Thank you.
In an attempt to succinctly answer owner’s of Small Businesses when they ask me about implenting Social Networks, I tell them that from what I’ve seen it’s not the most efficient way to spend their time nor money when growing their Sales. And that , larger fims such as Dell use SN’s to understand their Product Imperfections and to encourage CONSUMERS (not businesses) to spread the word of their product.
Surley you’re readers should consider…
Larger firms have more budget and more time. The U.S. based firms tend to be ahead of other countries in terms of Business Development Trends and so have been employing Social network Execs purely to keep on top of this Channel alone.
Anyway, I’d love to hear your comments!
Steve Walters.
e-Business Consultant & Director @Small Business Helper Limited.
Swansea, UK.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comments! I think that the impact of ANY social networking venue depends on the business and the market they’re trying to penetrate. Most small businesses do well being on Facebook and Twitter (etc.) while others may fail miserably before even starting. I think the mistake that a lot of small business owners make is thinking that what worked for a large company, or even their peer company, would work for them.
Where is the budget money best spent? On whichever platform will yield the best result. By the same toke, spending lots of marketing money in one or more areas will not guarantee a profit. The draw of the SM landscape is that it’s free. And we both know, that in a lot of these cases, you get what you pay for, right?