Everyday I continue to look at ways to maximize my time and resources on social media platforms. I came across this must-read article: “Social Media Strategy for B2B Companies” by Jon Parks, January 19, 2012

  1. Know your audience, which social networks they use and why/how they use them.
  2. Resolve to spend your time on social networks that are generally better for B2B.
  3. Position social media as a conversation starter and look to move the conversation to an off-line area to grow the relationship.
  4. Develop a solid content marketing strategy that places your company as a knowledgeable resource about the markets you serve.

I want to look closer at two points:

Point 2 – Spending your time on social networks…

I really like the graphic presented in this post. I would agree with his findings. The sooner you find out where the connections are occurring and you have connected with people, (1. Know Your Audience) the sooner you will know how to allocate your time on different social media platforms. As much as I want Google + to be the platform I spend the most time on, I still haven’t seen the ROI that I currently see from my work on Linkedin and Twitter.

Point 3 – Position social media as a conversation starter

This is critical. Whether it is Linkedin or Twitter or another social media platform, all of us should be looking at these platforms as starter channels. Follow-up is the key. After a conversation with a few tweets, if potential business or interest is involved, I try to move the conversation to phone or email. I think more people are really trying to find ways to take the conversation to a new level.

The best way to accomplish this is to find out if the person or company you are working with is open to moving this conversation from a public one to a private one. This can be done by sending a note telling the person that you will be sending a note via Linkedin Mail or a Direct Message with a phone number or email address.

In addition, a lot of listening is going on here. The longer you keep your message public, the less chance you will be able to keep the conversation going. Remember, you have other job tasks that you are working on.con

Also, don’ be afraid to conduct a Google Search and see if you can determine the person’s email or phone number. Refer to your conversation on Twitter and Linkedin and send the person an email.

Also, on Twitter, make sure you mark one of the conversations you are involved with as a favorite. This will help you save this conversation for future reference

Please read the article, referenced above. Maybe something in this article will really strike you. There is lots of information in this post. It’s a post you need to bookmark and reread to continue that you are following the four ideas stated in this post.

Picture via JordanHill School D&T Depart