Yes, there is a lot to Social Media and exposure. No, you can not do it all and do it well. You must select the social media outlets you would like to be a part of - and work them.
Image Courtesy of Scobles Social Media Starfish by DBarefoot
Everyone will have different favorites. I have a friend, Beth Harte of The Harte of Marketing who loves PLURK! I keep trying it, and just favor Twitter so much more. But ya know what - Plurk has worked for her and she likes it, so that is where she should be and continue to connect with her potential clients.
Have you read Buzz Builderz yet? Bill Lublin and Hal Lublin have been helping direct us with some great ideas for breaking down the Social Media into practical and helpful solutions.
"The mission of BuzzBuilderz is to help businesses and indivduals create “ripple marketing” where each action creates continued sequences of events increasing the impact and recognition of the person or business involved." Buzz Builderz.
No, you can't do it all. But in my opinion, you must make yourself a presence in Social Media and the Web 2.0 way to connect with people. Pick your favorites... and put them to work for you!
I am afraid many of us are lost in this fast changing environment. Not enough time, too few customers, and we find ourselves in unchartered territory.
I really need to 'get out' more often. I suppoe just as in real life...I'm really not a social butterfly :) but willing to take baby steps. :)
hi Kim, I think we all face the same challenge, tech savvy or not, with busy lives & limited time we have to pick and choose our "battles", i.e. social media presence.
I usually grab an account at anything major just to reserve my name and then point it back to my usual hangouts online. I find it easier to maintain a few things well than to try and constantly update dozens of profiles, blogs, etc... Nite!
Thanks for the mention, Kim! My father Bill and I have noticed with greater frequency the number of people who are realizing the power that social media has, especially in the real estate field, and also how daunting and overwhelming it all seems.
We created our company not only to set people up with a smart, integrated approach to web 2.0, but also to educate and de-mystify Social Media, making it more accessible for everyone.
When we presented at the Century 21 Leadership Conference in Chicago last month, so many of the attendees were hearing terms like "twitter" and "plurk" and "RSS" for the first time, but by the end, they understood that it was not an impossible task to get "LinkedIn."
Kim Wood is a great example of someone who effective leverages Social Media to her benefit as a Realtor.
Kudos!
Jon - I hope that you keep your eyes open and are acceptable for some changes. Don't get left behind :) You can't do it all - but hopefully there is something you will find to be of some interest.
Sally - Baby Steps are good !!! (Loved that movie with Bill Murray :)
Marti - I've done that as well - grab the name - then visit my favorites - let the other ones sit - or stop in once in a while. I guess once you see it turning around into $$$ it's easier to make the time, at least for me.
Hal - I'm excited about Buzz Builderz and have enjoyed it being a part of my reader :) You make me laugh, as does your father. Good one! I look forward to continuing to learn with your company!
".... hearing terms like "twitter" and "plurk" and "RSS" for the first time, but by the end, they understood that it was not an impossible task to get "LinkedIn."
Thanks for the mention Kim! You are correct, I do love Plurk! But I love Twitter too. Twitter is great for a quick post here or there (or over 4,000 posts!), but Plurk is great for a real conversation with people. Because Plurk has threaded conversations you can see all the people who respond...so multiple people can be in one conversation, it's great.
Are there networks superior to AR? I'm a mortgage broker and love it here, but you are showing dozens of options. What gives?
Beth - You have me peeking over there sometimes at least :) I should take my own medicine and use it to learn it and decide if I like it!
Rebecca - Superior to AR? Ummmm I'm a huge ActiveRain cheerleader. Love it. There are dozens of other Social Media venues out there (many not listed on the chart - and new ones added all the time). For the purpose AR was designed for - I would say - NO WAY. ActiveRain is the place to be. Each different entitiy of Social Media does something different for the most part. You kind of have to get out there and experiment to know what will work best for you.
Kim:
Thanks for your post, it is becoming more clear every day that social media is part and parcel of any good business plan. I agree you cannot go about this in a scattered way. You must select those sites that work best with your business goals, stick to them and "work" them as you say.
It is all about QUALITY not QUANTITY in any business plan. I adhere to this policy every day in my business.
The other part about Social media, even though you may not know exactlywhere your leads are coming from, since people jump from site to site and it is hard to track which one really brought them to you, but you will start to see your business grow as a result of social media and people have proven thistime and time again. It has been proven right here on Active Rain.
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Peter Vekselman
Hi Kim,
This is a cool matrix. I think you will like the one I found recently. Brian Solis is the author and it is available on a creative commons license for all to enjoy. Here is a link to this monster matrix: PS Solis is a bit insufferable but the guy can walk the talk!
dean
There are so many that I can't remember which one's I've signed up for and which ones I haven't. I haven't heard of Plurk... I'll give it a try.
Jared
www.jared.pro
www.tubeutah.com