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Is Twitter A Fad?

Those who are calling Twitter a  fad are missing the point. Twitter is simply a very effective "one to many" communication medium. Twitter as we know it will certainly pass, either evolving or being superseded by something else. Does that mean individuals and business should not be investing time and resources building their presence on it? No. Does that mean that it has disrupted how we communicate and congregate across geographical boundaries? Yes. Will understanding and building strategies around Twitter hold you in good stead for "the next big thing"? Yes.

Meaningful dialogue the key to social media

Think about it, if you had an opportunity to conduct a meaningful, ongoing dialogue about your brand, company or product would you take it? When viewing social media this way it provides the basis for the development of a social media strategy. Mention meaningful conversation or ongoing dialogue to your CEO however and you would most likely be met with a blank stare or bemused smile. So how can a company utilize social media to engage with current and potential customers?

1. The first step would be to identify the top social networks where your customers or potential customers may frequent and join in the conversation (and it is a conversation).

• Twitter - Search on keywords, individuals and companies to follow relevant to your industry. Contribute. Add value.
  
• Facebook - Search and join relevant groups, pages. Contribute content. Build  and promote community.
• LinkedIn - Answer questions about your area of expertise. Ask questions, help the professional community.
• RSS - Blog about your industry, upload relevant content. Use Feedburner. There is a significant subset of people who chose to utilize email subscriptions and RSS. Don't neglect them.

2. Measure your success! Implement analytics (Google Analytics) on your website. Measure the most effective activities which drive traffic to and activity on your website. For an overall brand engagement metric, you can try Net Promoter Score as a way to measure your success. Adjust and focus your social media efforts accordingly.

3. Start today. Most suggestions in this post can be implemented immediately and at an incremental cost. The most effective use of social media is to start using social media.

So the common thread for effective social media marketing is to promote community around your brand, add value and initiate and contribute to meaningful conversations - if you're doing none of those things what are you waiting for?