At a workshop on social networking for small businesses run by a local chamber of commerce, the presenter was asked how many times a day should a business plan on posting to their social networking sites. The answer was no more than 5 and it evoked a groan in the room.
Who has time for social networking? Who is really using it effectively? We’re wondering where you are interacting in cyberspace? Are you active on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Ning, Wordpress?
The statistics on increase in users on each of these channels are impressive, but if everyone is signing on because they feel they have to and not really becoming active or finding value, then the statistics are somewhat meaningless. The real question is what content or tools are valuable, either for your business or practice development or for your professional development. How is it changing how you do business or interact with others?
We got started on advice from the marketing pros. With participants and faculty located around the world we wanted to offer new ways for our community to interact and continue to engage with one another to share best practices, new ideas, and ongoing learning. Just as we recommend experimentation as a way to learn new behaviors, we tried experimenting with blogging, tweeting, and linking ourselves.
As in face to face communication, presence is key. Making good contact requires energy and involvement. We quickly discovered the commitment it takes on top of everything else we do. It’s easy to lose track without a strategy and a focused prioritization. We see and hear that others are finding the same challenges in managing their time and social networking engagement.
Now we are refocusing. We’re looking at ways to engage our participants that offer connection and value. We’re looking for your ideas of what information you’d like more of and how you want to see it. We welcome your ideas.
