Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Business blogging and Twitter - content first

 Social media campaigns should have business blogging as the hub of their activity. Often, we talk to prospects starting a B2B Social Media or B2C Social Media campaign with no content. Why? They don't have to the time to do it. Hire a ghost blog writer! Simply put, it is hard to participate on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook with no content.

When I was in college, you could always tell the freshmen at a party because they'd be the ones hanging around the stairs talking about how cool the party was. Meanwhile, the upper-year students would be heading for the keg and, well, actually enjoying the party.

Twitter can be very similar. You've got a rush of new people hanging out, talking about how Twitter is such a great tool and sharing news stories on how many more millions have joined the feed. And then, over there in the back, there are a few people who are actually using it as a tool.

Unlike Diamonds, Twitter Isn't Forever
The thing is, Twitter won't be around forever. True, it may seem like everybody's on it and it's the place to be, but guess what? So was Friendster. Three years ago, Twitter didn't exist. Five years ago, Facebook was a burgeoning idea on a Harvard campus and six years ago, everybody had a MySpace. The point is, things move fast and tastes can change even faster.

Which is exactly why though Twitter can be a useful part of a comprehensive marketing plan, it's not the be all and end all.

So, What's Next?
If I knew, I'd be calling my broker. Seriously though, if you were to pin me to the mat, I'd have to say niche communities.

Sure there are big providers out there like Facebook and LinkedIn, but there are also a lot of smaller, more niche-focused social networks popping up. For example, Identi.ca, which is a Twitter clone. That particular community is made of predominantly open source software developers and fans and, as a result, has a distinctly technical feel to it along with a great tech sense of humor.

As messageboards and listservs grow up and enter the social realm, you'll see more niche-focused networks appearing. Then again, maybe not.

twitter birdIn the meantime, party with us on Twitter:

Paul Lorinczi
Erik Deckers

Paul is the President of Professional Blog Service. PBS works with clients making strategic investments into business blogging, social media and search engine optimization.

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