Marketing your way through the social media maze

It seems like every day, you hear about new features on sites Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin. And every other day, there's another Web 2.0 platform, like Diaspora or Quora, that's supposed to be the next new thing.

But where do you find the resources to update your status, answer questions, write articles, tweet, connect, blog, email and otherwise engage on all these different platforms in a meaningful way?

Taming the social media beast

Well, it’s not easy -- you need to be structured, balanced and efficient. But I don't recommend automating content distribution with tools like Hootsuite that send to multiple social media platforms.  I don't believe it's a good idea to send out the exact same content with the same intro text through all media simultaneously.I think you need to control and vary your content.

Still that doesn't mean you need to create totally unique content for every web page, blog entry, newsletter edition and all your other social media outlets. You do, however, want to find a way whereby your content flows from one platform to another. 

The flow of content
The graphic below illustrates how you can engage on social media with a mixture of new and reused content that flows from one platform to another.

On each media platform, it's important to consider:

• How often you communicate. It’s important to find the right balance .. to send enough content to keep your audience engaged without becoming a nuisance.
• What type of content you send. Every bit of content you spend time on should contribute to a business goal, whether it’s generating interest, establishing or maintaining thought leadership or generating leads.
• Where you send it. For example, let’s say you’ve just produced a How-to guide. You’re more likely to find a good outlet for it on a relevant community forum than on Facebook.

Let your content flow
Taming the social media beast is no simple proposition. Yet it is possible to make it work in your favor by having a structured plan for the flow of your content, balancing between new and reused content, and by looking at and using each social media platform on its own terms.

Why blogging is like a box of chocolates

Herman, my resolutions are to blog more frequently and stop eating chocolate.

And how's that going so far, harry?

It's a little too early to say.

Marketing your way through the social media maze

It seems like every day, you hear about new features on sites Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin. And every other day, there's another Web 2.0 platform, like Diaspora or Quora, that's supposed to be the next new thing.

But where do you find the resources to update your status, answer questions, write articles, tweet, connect, blog, email and otherwise engage on all these different platforms in a meaningful way?

Click to read more ...

Why no one is reading your blog, website and emails

You have something you really want to communicate. You nailed the right tone of voice so it’s not patronizing or insincere, and you have a message that should be compelling to your target audience. But they’re still not reading your content. What have you done wrong? I’ll tell you. You’ve forgotten where you live...

Click to read more ...