Social Media Food for Thought

How well do you know your social media channels as they pertain to your prospects? What the heck does that mean? Many marketers will bundle Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn into one clump of “social media” when there is much more opportunity to act upon. Each of these channels offers a different behavioral outlet for prospects. As online marketers, it is our responsibility to understand how our prospects behave through these media of social expression.

Each of these social media channels offer a different means of expression and interaction between members. Twitter allows for thought leaders and influences to share snippets of wisdom under 140 characters mostly through observation. “What are you doing?” asks the infamous site, which is slightly different and will elicit different answers than Facebook’s “What’s on your mind”. Who are those thought leaders and how do they influence your prospects? Facebook provides not only profile pages of individuals but also groups and fan pages where discussions are held. What is said in these discussions and what does that tell you about your market? LinkedIn has a similar pattern of groups and profile pages, but on average is updated less frequently. The hesitation of what to add on these pages loses candid thought that the instantaneous social media outlets of Facebook and Twitter provide.

Many of us feel that we know our prospects from a face to face value, but do we know their online behavior? How often do your prospects check Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn? What groups or fan pages do they actively participate in on Facebook? Finding these answers can be tedious, but rewarding. In a Web 2.0 world where active participation keeps you up to date with your prospects, why would you waste a goldmine of opportunity offered through these various channels?

What have you seen or experienced?