Social networks and networks for the antisocial

Have you ever leaned back in your chair after spending an afternoon on Facebook, blogging and tweeting and wondered where the last 5 hours went? Annoyed now that you have to work late to do what you should have been doing while “socializing”? The time and effort that goes into social marketing has made us a bit antisocial and downright selfish with our time. So what’s a busy person who knows the importance of social marketing to do?

Before Web 2.0, running a successful business meant getting your work done right, on time, and on budget consistently. Now, with Web 2.0 in play, we also have to broadcast on the Internet how, when, where, what and why we are doing it.

Social marketing outlets include blogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Do you have to participate in all of them to reap the benefits of social marketing? If staff, time, and resources allow, sure. But for most of us, these things are commodities to be spent wisely. Choosing which social media “club” to join is key to the success of your social marketing campaign.

Locate your target audience and run with that social crowd. Twitter, Facebook and the like have reputations for appealing to a specific type of audience and some are broader than others. However, uploading a video to YouTube for an older baby boomer market would likely miss the mark. But this demographic uses email, so an invitation to read and subscribe to your blog’s RSS feeds is the way to connect with them.

For B2B or service professionals, LinkedIn is where you want to hang out. Reminiscent of chamber of commerce functions, this online version allows members to network with peers in their industries, former workplaces, and former classmates. Ask questions, answer questions, give and receive recommendations, etc. Completing your profile is often the most time-consuming aspect of using LinkedIn.

Facebook and MySpace are great places to start a conversation and quickly retreat while the masses continue without your presence. Create your network of friends or fans, make a daily post and let them comment on your latest news. In reality, what they say about your company or product carries more weight than anything you might say about it anyway. It’s an objective way to get their opinions and change your strategy accordingly.

Monitor your social status to make sure good things are being shared. Reputations are made and ruined on the Web in a matter of hours. That housewife in Peoria who is raving or complaining about her customer service isn’t just talking to her neighbor. She is talking to 550 “friends” around the world.

Regardless of where or how you interact with your customers on social media, be meticulous with your spelling and grammar. Twitter’s 140-character limit doesn’t leave much room for error, and mistakes reflect poorly on your business. Twitter users can also use apps with a built-in spell checker like Twirl. Correct twice, read it out loud, and make the topic relevant, a topic that will compel people to respond.

A sentence or two here, a post or blog there. As long as you choose the right medium and method, social marketing has the ability to go a long way towards building your brand and increasing your business. Social media doesn’t have to take up 5 hours of your time and doesn’t require overcoming any antisocial tendencies. In fact, that’s the beauty of it. Proceed confidently into that field of social marketing, introduce yourself, do the rounds, and spark some conversation. And that parsley between your front teeth? Nobody will know.