SmallBusinessNewz

The difference between having a Website and being listed on a Search engine is very different from participating in a Forum, Social Circle, or even the Classifieds.

Communities will always be in threat of "drying up", that is the only real risk as far as I see it. There is a high risk of time spent evaporating when the people move to a different venue.

With Facebook. Maybe 1-3 years from now it will lose traffic at the rate that MySpace has.

With Google, Maybe Google will be the next Yahoo in 2-10 years time?

Search is not Google. I believe Search will always have a solid footing as far as a passive means to push your brand message, information or product to customers.

 

 

I know individuals who spend a large bulk of their day on Facebook. When something happens within their "circle" they know about it right away, When another individual "recommend" or mentions an article, product, service, or event - they check it out and continue the conversation. Facebook has become a national community of gossip, recommendations, questions and answers, and real time research.

I personally maintain the opinion that Facebook is a waste of my day, and a waste of productive time, but that does not stop me from highly recommending not only a facebook presence, but an ACTIVE facebook presence.

Bottom line: your customers are on Facebook.

Next: The search engines are starting to pull search results from the social media databases. Get into it now. Create your brand - your voice - your "presence", and in about a year from now you will be poised to be a part of those "Social Results"

It is for this reason that we (WebXsposure Design Studios) have added a component to all of our website builts that automatically "pings" up to about 50 social media (facebook, linkedin, twitter, plaxo, posterous, yammer, etc. etc.) with every addition or update to the website.

It's here to stay and growing every day (Google Buzz hits over 9 million coments in well under a week), so either become a part of it, or watch the masses pass you by.

 I agree Chris, it does come down to personal discipline.  You must make time daily for Social Media, but not ALL day.  Ask the question:  What do I expect to accomplish using Social Media?  What are my goals?  If you have a clear defined purpose that is realistic, it can work for you and your business. 

It is not all about ads as was mentioned or selling to your Friends and Fans, it is about providing content that is useful, becoming an authority figure in your field of business.  If you only have a Personal Facebook page, you should also develop one for your business so you can differentiate the two.  Provide content specific to both.

I use many Social Media tools, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter and now Buzz.  I post a little each day on some and weekly on others.  You have to keep your content fresh, but not overwhelming.

 

 

Seth Godin coined the term "permission marketing" this is where the visitor is allowing you to tell them about your product or service. Versus "interruption marketing" is where you're throwing your sales pitch to everyone that you meet. So yes, engaging in the community is the best approach, may not be the quickest way, but in the long run after the clouds have settled. Your brand is there for people to see!