Social Media – is a Means not the End
As I talk to small business owners about adding a blog to their site, I don’t expect they will become professional bloggers. I simply want them to add the content to improve the recency of their site and blogs are a good way to keep content fresh and improve visibility in search engines. Sometimes I think people forget why they have created their blog and start to think of the blog itself as the end game, rather than a means to the end. In a recent post Chris Brogan talks about who your target should be on your blog, and how to make it work. I love his opening sentence.
Here’s one: if you’re going into business for yourself, consider marketing to the people who will give you money, not the people doing the same thing as you
His point? It is easy to get caught up in the game of adding followers and friends on various social networks and driving traffic to your site, but unless that traffic includes potential clients it may not be the best use of your time. And when they arrive what do you have to offer? John Jansch also had some interesting comments on this same subject. He also stressed the idea that social media and blogging, for most small business owners is a means to an end. Traffic to your blog is nice, but in the long run only if it drives more sales.He Says:
The point is, for a business or marketer, these are just tools, tools to meet objectives. Don’t over think new media tools. Use them in smart ways, not necessarily the ways you see other using them. Approach new media options with an eye on how they can ultimately help you achieve your objectives and not on how you can become part of the now new thing that’s all the buzz.
For the small business owner, this means traffic to your site is only the first measure of success, you must also look at bounce rate and conversions. When people come, do they stay, look around, visit multiple pages. Do they buy something, download something or send you a note? Or do they simply leave?
It is easy to focus on building friends on social networks and driving traffic to your website. Just make sure you have something worthwhile to say when they get there.
So, if a person has a small business and it is strictly local, lets say a small insurance agency. What is the value to them to blog, twitter, linking or any other online social network? Should they even bother? I normally tell them a the very least get on the local communities Smaller Indiana, but what should they be doing beyond that?
I completely agree with the statement “Just make sure you have something worthwhile to say when they get there.”. Building a website and driving traffic to it is what everyone seems to be interested these days. Its equally important to make those into conversions.
Very true Lorraine, I have fellow coaches that judge themselves on how well they do on search terms that their peers are on. I did that for a while to satisfy my ego.
Smarter now, I believe, I only check and write based on my target markets search terms. Funny thing, I am ranked higher than my peers now, without effort towards competing with them. Ego & pocketbook happier!
Hazel, even local companies can use blogging and social media to drive traffic, for example creating cross links with members of their power circle. Check out http://davidschoenenberger.com/ Dave does a great job of publishing content of interest to his clients that is created by his network. The result, more interesting input drives more traffic on a regular basis. Next step, he should invite people to request a quote, sign up for a newsletter, or make a comment.