To Use Social Media Successfully, Stop Being a Broadcaster

If you use Facebook and/or Twitter for business, the most annoying and unproductive thing you can do is to try to turn these social media into one-way advertising “broadcast” sites. It’s very tempting to get on there and say, “wow, I have a free channel of communication for my business! It’s like a giant direct mail list, so I’m just going to shout every great thing about my business a bunch of times every day!”

Bad idea. Social media users are already bombarded by advertising on television, radio, the Internet, roadside billboards, in magazines, etc. The last thing they want is to tune into your “all-infomercial channel” on Facebook or Twitter.

The whole point of social networking is that it’s supposed to be social, which requires conversation and two-way interaction. As new media marketer Jeff Korhan writes, even on a purely professional Facebook business page, “I make the effort to personalize that content – giving you a sense of who I am.”

Now, it’s understandable if you’re a bit shy about adding a personal touch to your social marketing for your business, or, more likely, you just don’t have time to engage in such conversations. If so, a writing professional who can pick up on your personality or your company’s tone, knows social media, and writes with style might be just the ticket for you.