Google + I like. But I am yet to muster the energy or inclination to make a go of it.
I’m on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, FourSquare, YouTube. I also contribute to various online forums including UK Business Forums and a football forum. Will the added benefit I receive from this new community be worth the time and effort?
I’d love to think so. I can see the valuable contribution the new interface offers. But, even with that in mind, I’m not sure.
Chris Brogan Writes:
One of the biggest pushbacks I hear from people when I talk about how wonderful I think Google+ will be for business professionals is that they’re tired. They’re tired of joining a new social network. They’re tired of going through the dance of re-adding their friends and connections on yet another platform. They’re tired of having to think up even more content for yet another platform, after having finally committed to Facebook or Twitter or wherever else.
via Social Media Fatigue.
The big selling point for any business to be involved in theses massive established social media sites is the sheer numbers involved. You can ‘in theory’ reach billions of people with just one tweet right? Of course not.
The reason this isn’t true is the finite amount of attention people have available in any given day. We prioritise our attention according to personal interests as opposed to sucking in as many tweets, for example, as possible.
So, as a business do I master Google + and the thousands of new opportunities it may represent? Or do I seek out niche communties already available as groups on LinkedIn? Using hashtags on Twitter? And on Facebook pages? Do I, perhaps set up my own content hub to generate information, curate content and engage in online dicsussions with a clearly defined actively-listening target group?
Several banks have chosen to focus their social media strategy on one section of their customer target base. Royal Bank of Scotland, one of our clients, has developed a niche on-line community called Keep Britain Biking to appeal to motorcyclists in order to encourage customer interaction with their Devitt insurance brand. Barclays bank is using a niche community called 100 voices to appeal directly to students with the promise of a community that contains information “written by students, for students”.
Google + is a massively relevant and significant opportunity for everyone online. But increasingly, I want communities that obviously reflect my passions and interests and those of my customers. And I’ll sacrfice the big number in favour of a group of like-minded people who are actively listening to what we all say. And an active community of people who introduce content that adds value to our conversation.
