Over the years I have heard from business connections and friends – even old ones (because of Facebook). That don’t “GET” some social media application. Usually this is said in a disparaging tone and if they SAT down and learned about it then maybe they would. Try taking time out of Facebook for ONE day and put that time into the application or platform that you don’t “GET.”
Any platform that is new is a bit uncomfortable at first and some of them are such “Flash In the Pans.” They are gone before you get a chance to try it out. In both cases this is frustrating because if you are in business you have limited time to learn new things.
Before you dive in, think of 3 things:
- What is my goal in using this new platform?
- Who is my target market?
- And if my business is a B2B, then who are my target market’s customers?
Let’s use Twitter, for an example:
1. Your goals can be simple. If you are a sales or maintenance person on the road, it may be helpful for you to know if a business or plant is closing due to weather, water main break, fire or construction delays. Perhaps your team may not hear about these things through tradition methods? 
Would you want to communicate with the press? Would you want the media to come interview you about a topic instead of your competitor? Make it easy on the media to keep connected with you. We all like good publicity or stories and we don’t have to pay for it, all the better. And if you haven’t noticed, the media uses Twitter. So start following them, it is easy and free to do.
2. Your Target – what are your potential and current customers using to communicate? Go poke around and punch in a few names that you know. If there is a customer out there that is unhappy with a product or your service are they making nasty comments about you and you aren’t listening how can you fix it? Or if they have something going on at their business or plant, spread the word through your network. Good Will matters. Using Twitter especially to help someone is a lot more popular than just pushing out “BUY MY STUFF” messages.
3. Supporting your base: If you got a phone call or text from someone saying, “I am looking for ________ – do you know where I can buy it? ” When I get calls like that, I think of who my customers are and go to that database in my head and recommend my customer first. If I don’t have a customer then I refer them and often times it is someone I have been in contact through a social media platform. Often it is Twitter.
A platform like Twitter is the new water cooler conversation, before the water cooler, it was other conversations involving face to face meetings, church, kids activities other networking events. Twitter is networking, connecting and getting to know a wider audience that you may never been able to reach before.
But back to a goal for a minute: If you use Facebook then what was your goal there? Watch out for your kids? Are they on Twitter?
Follow Me if you like! @LadyoTrout