Small Business Link Digest – February 22, 2008
Social Media and SEO
- Noted SEO Aaron Wall tells “The Inconvienent Truth About Social Media Marketing”
- Equally noted Forrester analyst Jeremiah Owyang responds with “Remembering the Many Opportunities of Social Media –not just Impacts of Advertising”
Social Media/SEO Analysis
I don’t usually comment on the links I select, but this is an interesting topic for small businesses – and large ones, too – to think about carefully. I definitely agree more with Jeremiah, despite the great points Aaron makes.
First, why I agree with Jeremiah. Engaging in social networks for your business depends on engaging with your customers where they are and when they want you to. Social networks provide excellent opportunity to do that and to see your customers “in the wild.” No skill matters more in marketing than listening to your customers’ needs. Social networks and social media can help you listen more effectively.
Now, why I agree with Aaron? Because his fundamental premise is right. If your participation doesn’t ultimately lead to sales, it may not be worth your time. You’ve got to measure your activities and determine what the right places to engage your customers are. I suspect social networks will be one of them. But don’t assume Digg or MySpace are those places. Look for niche networks, focused on areas where your business excels. Serve the luxury market? Look at ASmallWorld. Offer food products? Look to key culinary bloggers. And so on.
Social is neither bad, nor good. It’s a tool. How you use it is up to you.
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I think social media is over-rated for real visitors and real sales, but brand recognition may help in the long run. Therefore, if your a small business it’s not worth your time to draw large amounts of social media traffic unless its highly targeted.
I agree completely. I don’t think Digg has much value to most businesses. But don’t write off social altogether. Many targeting opportunities exist within larger social networks. For example, participating in groups on LinkedIn or Facebook that focus on your industry can provide many benefits, such as recruiting and customer acquisition. Twitter can help you connect with individuals with a shared interest, too. And that can benefit your business enormously.