I have a secret to tell you. There is a magic bullet to having an amazingly successful business. Most people won’t tell you this because it’s too easy. It’s laughable, really. Lean in closer, let me whisper in your ear.
The secret to having an incomparably successful business is…
…Facebook.
…. I mean LinkedIn.
…..No, Twitter! The magic bullet is Twitter!
Okay, this might not be as easy as I thought.
The Magic Bullet
Dear Reader, you are smart enough to know that in order to get business people need to know that your business exists; and the single most effective way to get attention these days is by making the most of your social media options: blog, tweet, comment, share and update. Get out there and join the conversation. Engage. Contribute. Show your clients and customers that you have what they need!
LinkedIn: “The future of recruiting”
“Facebook is for fun. Tweets have a short shelf life. If you’re serious about managing your career, the only social site that really matters is LinkedIn.”
Such is the claim of Jessi Hempel, author of a recent article in Fortune Magazine entitled “How LinkedIn will fire up your career.” According to Hempel’s article, LinkedIn is the new alternative to swapping business cards—or handing out résumés.
It makes a certain sense. We live in a digital world and a global economy, and most of our interactions—even with friends who live in the same town—take place online. In a business world where success is determined by “not what you know but who you know” it helps to be a part of a community that can boast over 60 million member profiles...Now this is based on The West and parts of Africa...More than a quarter [of LinkedIn members] are senior executives.”
Where better to rub elbows, make connections and find potential clients or customers? The problem is that in spite of much asking around, I know very few people who can attribute a new job, client or customer directly to their LinkedIn account.
Facebook: Sharing a different side of yourself and your business
Facebook is where I keep things light and personal, it’s not where I go to find business. But according to Jordan Furlong in his blog post “Facebook for Law Firms,” this personal touch is exactly why I should share my Facebook profile (or at least my business fan page) with my business contacts.
Furlong’s post is aimed at law firms, but the ideas apply to anybody in business. He asserts that it is exactly the personal nature of Facebook that makes it such a valuable tool for setting your business apart from the competition… if you do it right.
“What Facebook offers [businesses] is the chance to tell a different story about themselves, or show a different side of themselves, than what is possible or appropriate to tell and show through other communication means, such as a website, a newsletter or a brochure. No [business] is really a one-dimensional creature that can be summed up completely by a corporate website… [they] are complex, multi-dimensional communities of service professionals and service offerings, and some of those dimensions are more effectively conveyed through non-traditional vehicles like Facebook.”
Furlong suggests that by using a Facebook fan page to show the softer side of your business—sharing your experience participating in a community service project, posting (tasteful) photos of your office holiday party, or talking about hobbies—you show your customers the human side of your business; make them feel like they’re not just buying a product, they’re part of a community.
Twitter: Beauty and the Beast
In my experience, Twitter is often cited as the place to interact with your clients and customers in real-time. It’s where the big boys play. A recent article on Website Magazine shares how big business such as Amazon, WalMart, Dell and others use Twitter, and the feeling you come away with is—if these guys are using Twitter, shouldn’t your business be out there too?
There’s no denying it, Twitter has taken the business world by storm. A quick Google search reveals pages and pages of articles, blog posts and books about how to use Twitter for business. Twitter’s one simple rule—140 characters—means that essentially there are no rules, which makes Twitter both a beauty and a beast. The beauty is that your small business and a huge company like WalMart start out on equal footing: 140 characters to make your mark on the world. The beast is that you’re competing with 5,367,117 Tweeters, and nothing but your wiles to get yourself noticed. It’s hard to think outside the box and get yourself noticed when there is no box.
So… What’s Your Secret?
You may think it unfair of me to end this post with a question rather than an answer, but there is no one answer. There is no magic bullet except the one you make for yourself. If you’re a conservative type with the business card and the handshake, use LinkedIn to leverage that. If your strength is your active nature and winning personality, use Facebook to bring your clients and customers into that warm inner circle. If quick thinking and clever conversation are your forte, Twitter may be just the place for you to shine.
The truth is that any of the tools mentioned in this post can help you achieve success… but the only way to do it is to put in the time. And if you’re going to be putting in the time, you may as well enjoy it. Find the tool (or tools) that makes the best use of your talents and interests and run with it.
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