While there are many tools available for social media marketing and social networking, the biggies that emerge are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. While it may be tempting to view these tools as all pretty much the same thing, they have distinct differences, and as a direct sales professional, it is important to understand this difference.
First, a definition. Social networking tools enable people to communicate with one another online. People can set up profiles, find others with similar interests, and then build relationships. As a direct sales professional, a great profile can be the key to that successful first impression that leads to a long-term relationship and prospects for your business.
But too often, I see people treating these tools as if they are all the same, and I think this is a mistake. Tools such as TweetDeck and ping.fm exacerbate this problem, allowing people to update various tools with the same status update, all at once. The problem with this approach is that different tools attract different kinds of people, and so you should consider using these tools for very different purposes, especially when you begin your foray into social networking and social media marketing.
For example, Facebook is an EXCELLENT tool for connecting or reconnecting with family and friends, and developing deeper relationships that are further strengthened by face to face meetings. Facebook’s unique ability to suggest friends based on your information makes it easy to connect with people you haven’t spoken with in a long time. And that, along with Facebook Pages, gives you a great platform to make your business more visible.
Compare that with Twitter, which is primarily for meeting NEW people. I find that most people that use Twitter are business people. This is a much better tool for finding people interested in joint ventures, business arrangements, and information (preferably free.) People here have their own language, with # and @ symbols that confuse the heck out of people that don’t use Twitter. So when people automatically import their Twitter status update into Facebook, they’ve already lost half their audience. And the people that do understand your secret code have already seen that status update in Twitter…they don’t need to see it in Facebook too.
LinkedIn is comprised mainly of professionals supporting one another in business. It’s a great tool for finding potential business builders to join your direct sales team. But if you’re pushing your products here, you’re not likely to find much success. You’ll have greater success here by interacting in the groups and providing value to others.
By mindfully using status updates and other interactions that fit the social networking tool and audience that you’re targeting, you’ll experience more success than if you try to use a one size fits all approach. And that’s why it’s so important to clearly understand your social media goals and your targeted niche market before selecting the social networking tools you’ll use.
What do you think? What tools do you use, and how do you use them? What kind of success have you experienced? I would love to hear your thoughts below!
[…] Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn…What's the Difference? « Direct Sales … […]
I totally agree.. I just wish others would realize the differences too! Thanks for the great blog
I agree. If you think about these 3 as if they were different networking groups in “real life” it makes it even easier to understand. Each group or club you may belong to in your community has its own flavor – some are casual, others are more subdued and professional and still others may be friendly and ‘fun’ in atmosphere. If you dressed, spoke, and conducted yourself in one way for the “fun” meeting but showed up that way to the “professional” meeting, you might seem a little out of place. Just as you would at an “IRL” party or meeting, observe what the norms are and try to fit in, vs. applying one style to all.
Karen,
Thanks for the great comment! You’re absolutely right. Just as you need to adapt your style face to face to fit the situation, so you must also consider the “flavor” of each online community, so that what you share is relevant. This is the approach that leads to long-term success!
Cheers!
Jennifer
I agree totally! Yay! Someone finally said it.
I’m just getting started on social marketing online & am feeling a little overwhelmed. Thanks for describing their uses. Now, I feel a little more confident to move forward!
Hi Jennifer,
Your approach to social networking is so helpful. Do you think the hispanic market is ready to get impacted by those networks?
Which one would work better for them?
Thank you
Hernán,
Great question, and my answer is ABSOLUTELY. Consider:
“The Hispanic demographic is growing quickly in its use of Social Media. According to Scarborough Research, 54% of Hispanics were online in 2008. February 2009 marked a first for the online marketplace. For the first time the US Hispanic online population reached 20.3 million unique users; that is 11% of the total US online population. The Hispanic audience segment is now growing faster than the total US online population by half…” (source: http://hispanicdigital.blogspot.com)
”where are Hispanic users going online? According to the report Hispanic users are highly into entertainment. Hispanic consumers are likely to be found in community spaces, gaming hubs or ‘other’ entertainment – multimedia sites, chat/discussion boards, instant messaging interfaces or music sites.” (source: http://hispanicdigital.blogspot.com)
Given that information, community spaces that provide rich entertainment, community, and multi-media are a good fit. I would focus on Facebook, which serves as a hub for virally sharing photos, videos, and the link, YouTube for sharing your company-produced videos that appeal to that market, and also niche-specific communities dedicated specifically to the hispanic community.
Check out: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/online/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003577685
and: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2009/01/26/a1f_quepasa_0126.html
Your company is not the only one considering how social media can help with hispanic market penetration. Will you be at the DSA Annual Meeting? I’d love to further discuss this with you!
Jennifer
[…] https://liajen.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/twitter-facebook-linkedin-whats-the-difference/ […]