Your Consulting Business and Web 2.0
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Michael Stelzner's industry report on the penetration of
social media for business marketing purposes raises some wider
questions on the impact of Web 2.0. To begin with, what is Web 2.0?
"Web 2.0" is a catch-all term that refers to the evolution of the
internet to a state in which information sharing and collaboration is a
natural way of working. How has networking on the web changed your
consulting business, or how is it going to change the way you do
business in the future?
Stelzner's report provides a tantalizing glimpse of where we
are heading. He asked marketers and users of social networking sites a
range of questions on their beliefs and practices. Some nine out of ten
business owners responded that they used social media to market their
business. Employees of businesses trailed slightly behind at eight out
of ten.
Treat these results with a good measure of caution, as the
people surveyed were by and large existing users of the technology. As
Stelzner says, survey respondents were garnered from invitations posted
on Twitter, Facebook and blogs, along with an email out to marketers.
Not exactly a representative or random sample of all business people.
However, his results do pose the question: If you are a
business owner, have you dived into social networking to promote your
business? Do you have the time? Stelzner reports that some six out of
ten marketers spend at least five hours per week networking on-line,
with four out of ten spending at least ten hours per week. Is this a
good use of your valuable time? Or are you struggling to forge
meaningful relationships – business or otherwise – on-line? Are you
spreading yourself so thinly that you are finding that you are friends
with everyone, but a friend of none?
I see some networkers out to make as many network contacts as
possible – some in the thousands – with the prime purpose of wearing
their tally as a badge of honour. I find this my greatest challenge
with the Web 2.0 environment. How do I have a broad spread without
sacrificing depth? I am a member of a number of social networking
sites, but have found myself spending the bulk of my on-line time with
just two or three sites. How have you dealt with the challenge of so
many networks, but so little time? Are you developing significant
business relationships or simply skimming the surface?
Eight out ten of Stelzner's survey participants believed that
social networking created extra exposure for their business. A still
significant six out of ten said they saw an increase in traffic to
their web site and more subscribers to their circulations. Other
benefits reported were a rise in qualified leads and closed business
deals. Stelzner's report is certainly strong on extolling the virtues
of on-line social networking. However, be mindful that the report is
largely drawn from the opinions of those already converted to this way
of doing business.
That's not to say that on-line networking cannot help your
business. Our own business has received invitations to partner with
other businesses as a direct result of my participation on social
networking sites. Most invitations are made in good faith. The caveat
is that you do need to watch out for business owners offering a
symbiotic relationship, but in truth looking to benefit themselves
above your own business. Be watchful of who you deal with and proceed
with caution.
Which are the most useful social sites for promoting your
business? Stelzner reported the networking sites most commonly used by
experienced marketers are Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and blogs. Are
you surprised? Facebook and Twitter are often perceived as portals for
pre-pubescents and teens. Of the general business networking sites, I
spend most of my time on LinkedIn and Fastpitch. Which are your
favorites? Do the demographic of visitors to Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, and so on, fit your client market?
What about blogs (web logs)? Do you frequent them to keep up
to date? Blogs have spread like wildfire over the last couple of years,
and many consultants have succumbed to the lure of easy customers ready
for the picking. I have seen a number of colleagues set up blogs, only
to be dejected once they realised the amount of work required to get
that critical mass for it to be low maintenance. Without the time or
the patience to rally visitors in the early days, most of them now
stand as relics to an overly optimistic outlook. Have you started a
company blog? Is it a success, or are you struggling to keep it
relevant and topical?
What lessons have you learned that you can share with others?
How is Web 2.0 changing the way you do business? What stories can you
tell about what has worked for you and what was a waste of time and
effort? Why not share your learnings on the social networking web sites
you visit? Isn't that what Web 2.0 is all about?
References:
Michael A. Stelzner, Social Media Marketing Industry
Report,
http://marketingwhitepapers.s3.amazonaws.com/smss09/SocialMediaMarketingIndustryReport.pdf
Copyright © Leslie Allan
About the Author
Leslie Allan is Managing Director of
Business Performance Pty Ltd; a management consulting firm specializing
in people and process capability. He has been assisting organizations
for over 20 years, contributing in various roles as project manager,
consultant and trainer for organizations large and small. Mr. Allan is
a prolific writer on business issues, with many journal and web
articles to his credit. He is also the author of five books on employee
capability, training and change management. His company's web site is a
rich source of information, advice and tools in a variety of business
and management areas. Visit Mr. Allan's Business Performance
web site to download trial versions of products, free
templates and introductory chapters.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2013-08-21 09:02:34 in Computer Articles
