You just can’t fake it when it comes to social networking. Sorry, it’s just not something that you can farm out to someone to do for you, you just have to do it yourself.
In fact that is the real value of social networking versus blogging or your website, it is you reacting with other people on a one to one basis. You can’t fake or ghost-do this!
I personally have seen some people actually hire social media coaches – now, there is value in that for novices who have just not gotten with the program to help assure that you have all the “boxes on your ticket checked”. I personally no longer set up Facebook or LinkedIn accounts for clients. I have found simply that it is impossible to speak for them effectively on highly personal issues such as favorite books, personal background and interests.
I love social networking, as I know that it is simply impossible to cheat on the creation of connections, but how you use social networking to your benefit is up to you. If all you do is add one more connection as if it is a numbers game, then you are really missing the absolute best aspect of it, which is to connect personally with other.
For me, I am now speaking to members of the French speaking family I lived with for one year in high school in Brussels on a foreign exchange program on a several times a week basis now versus at Christmas time. That’s just one example of a personal connection that has been reignited with Facebook in this case. Do you have an example you’d want to share about your experience with social networking? Do it now by clicking comments and tell me.
Hi Nancy. I agree with you to a point, but we assist many of our clients with their social networking endeavors. We educate them on the importance of their presence and basically get the ball rolling for them, and will network along with them, and on their behalf.
What we have run into as the leading Arizona SEO firm is that social networking takes times, and most of our clients are busy running their businesses and don’t have the time or resources to do their own social networking.
Even in light of that, we encourage them to frequent the social sites and still be active. It seems to be a win-win!!
Thanks for the post!!