Small Business | Forum « How many Social Media platforms are enough?

How many Social Media platforms are enough? (9 posts)

Topic tags: social media platforms, social media strategy

said
1 year, 5 months ago:
The main topics I’ve seen here are Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and Google+. If we toss in Foursquare, Linkedin, Youtube, Empire Avenue, your Klout, your Kred, your PeerIndex, PROskore, SocMetrics with Ogilvy and Deep, your TweetLevel, Traackr tools, Twitalyzer from Klout and PeerIndex data and a dozen more I don’t know…..how much is enough?
There is only so much time so I’m curious – Which are the main sites you use the most because they are the most useful and you are still able to get a full days work in?
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Stewart Kelly said
1 year, 5 months ago:
A good question Tom because social media sites could drain a lot of time, even with automation tools.
Right now I am sticking with four of the most popular: Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Youtube and Facebook are especially important social media venues because they rival Google for search and have millions of people using them.
Despite that, I feel I am under-utilizing them because even they take time to develop relationships and so far the ROI is nebulous.
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said
1 year, 5 months ago:
@stewkelly Hi Stewart, between these forums, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin I feel like I only get to them once in a while. I’m finding it hard to schedule everything in between all the other things in life. I agree with you and find myself under-utilizing these sites.
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Valerie Joy Deveza said
1 year, 5 months ago:
@TomK I would encourage you to stick with at least 3-5 networks first. Make sure that your target audience are participating on those sites, that way you’ll get most out of them. You need to know where they are.
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Susan Wright-Boucher said
1 year, 5 months ago:
@valeriejoydeveza makes a huge point in her reply.
Our social networking decisions should be based on target demographics. Find out where your clients and prospects hang out and invest your time there. A little research may reveal that your top targets frequent association pages even more than mainstream social networking sites.
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Stewart Kelly said
1 year, 5 months ago:
Thanks Valerie and Susan,
Yes, I agree that you have to find your target audience is and develop an interactive dialogue with them. The conundrum is your time best spent using social media to expand your reach vs. more formal venues where potential clients hangout. Even here there are posts where people essentially want to be observers and say they don’t want to be pitched too. Is it easier on social media to engage and be more effective because expectations are different?
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Heather Wright-Porto said
1 year, 4 months ago:
I would reverse the question and say “How many are too many?”. With a smile I say that
I have many customers and friends, family, that start a blog (brand new), but then told they have to have a newsletter, have to setup a facebook account, twitter account, linkedin account, and before you know it they are completely overwhelmed and want to just quit it all.
So I always recommend it be staggered for newbies
Start with their blog, get it up and running, get into posting consistently, get comfortable. Then add Facebook, do the same. Then add Twitter or LinkedIn or YouTube…whatever social media suits their business better. One by one, add them as your comfort level grows.
Just me two cents…
Main point, just jump into blogging and get going. Have fun. Be passionate. Get comfortable. Then move on to adding more and more social networking accounts
Heather
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Valerie Joy Deveza said
1 year, 4 months ago:
@blogsbyheather love the tip!
I do agree that newbies should focus wit their blog first and then add one social media platform at a time. that way they won’t be overwhelmed and frustrated with all social media websites popping up each day. :)
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Jordan Smallwood said
1 year, 4 months ago:
I feel like instead of focusing on the number of social media platforms, it’s best to focus on how many you are participating in effectively. If multiple social media platforms are working, why cut them out. I believe social media use should be predicated on how many people you are reaching and how many opportunities it is opening up for you and your business.
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