Twitter? Facebook? Blogs? YouTube? Which social media tools will give you the best returns on your investment? Well, it depends??
I use Twitter when I want to communicate something that’s short and sharp and I often link to another page with more detailed information. The great thing about Twitter is that it takes only a few seconds to tweet a new message.
I use my Facebook profile to stay in touch with friends and family. It’s where I can post silly photos of my vacations or talk about my family or my dog, Bella. But my Facebook page is a business page, too, so it also links to articles, videos and other social media sites. At Australian Businesswomen’s Network, we have a community of thousands of women who have interesting stories and I want to be able to share their stories with the world.
Blogging
I also have a blog and a team of women who contribute to the blog as experts in their own area. Should you have a blog? Well, it depends. Do you think that you could post new content at least three times per week? If that seems like too much of a time commitment, maybe you should hold off on launching your own blog. But you might want to look for an existing blog that’s willing to accept content from a contributor in your area of expertise.
You can approach the major bloggers in any industry and say, “This is my area of expertise. Could I be a contributor on your blog?” Most bloggers will gladly accept free, unique content. (Don’t forget to include a link to your site!)
Video
YouTube, Ustream and Vimeo are all popular social media sites for video. If you have any sort of video camera and the willingness to invest a bit of time, you can create your own videos to share with the world. You could interview your customers or members of your organization, or you could create useful how-to videos. The possibilities are limitless.
Think of yourself as a Content Creator
The people who occupy the top spots in any industry are those who create the most relevant and most useful online content. What type of content would you be able to create on a regular basis? You must be consistent with your social media content. If you get hundreds of followers on Twitter, but never post anything, people will lose interest. Similarly, if you launch a blog and post new content only once a month, people will lose interest. You have to ask yourself what you can manage and how you can fit it into your already busy life. Given your unique situation, which social media tool will allow you to create the most engaging content related to your area of expertise?
