You say "the Internet is more about connections and less about destinations." Can you translate that into a couple of tips for how entrepreneurs can create an experience to engage and connect with their visitors/readers/prospects that may or may not involved driving them to a website?
What I mean by that is that the destination era of the web is over, to quote Steve Rubel. The idea that your website serves as the be-all/end-all of everything that's needed for a consumer to know about you or your business is antiquated. It's all about being where people are, and tying that presence back to your website. I tell people to make your website a "hub," not a silo; a hub that connects them everywhere else you have a presence online.
A great example (though a bit outlandish) is what Mars did with their Skittles.com website. Rather than have the typical CPG's site, they made the site nothing more than a widget that sat in the upper left-hand corner of the browser. Click a link to "chatter" and you were taken to a Twitter search for the word "Skittles." Click "media" and you were taken either to their YouTube or Flickr channels. Click "friends" and you went to the Facebook Fan Page.
Again, that's a bit of an audacious example, but it's picturesque of the way the web works today.
Ultimately, there is value to be had by driving (let's use the term "leading" or "attracting") people to your own branded presence, whether that be a website, blogsite or whatever. It's where they conduct business with your brand.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn all serve the purpose of creating introductions and building relationships, but I like to think that your website (blog) is the place where business happens. I see it as central to a focused strategy.
To be practical, make sure you include links to your Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, etc. on your website. And, where possible, make sure people can get to your website from each of these.
I also suggest that content posted to your website should also be posted to Facebook and tweeted. Further, repurpose that content for use in an email newsletter.
What is your advice to entrepreneurs and small businesses who are considering starting their own niche social networking sites? Is it a good idea or should they use the existing platforms?
Yes. :-) I think it's both/and, not either/or. I liken it to getting a seat at someone else's table or setting a table or your own. In a manner of speaking, setting up a Facebook Fan Page is like setting a table of your own inside a very large restaurant (the world's largest in fact).
As to how you might go about this, start first on other sites. Become an active participant and build a strong following or fan base. Then, when you have a large enough group, consider setting up your own online community.
Now, that's not a hard and fast rule. A lot of it depends on how niche your market is.
I've heard people who suggest only using 3rd-party sites like Facebook and Twitter. They see no reason to start something of your own. While you certainly need to be prepared to manage a niche-community (and that's not an easy task), don't limit yourself to only following their approach.
Frankly, I think you'll know when it's time to make the shift. Your community will tell you. Take, for example, what happened with Megan Calhoun and Twittermoms, a community for tech-savvy, stay at home moms.
Megan started by trying to connect with that community via Twitter, but found that she could not segment her followers to the degree that she would like. She started Twittermoms as an alternative and, within weeks, the community grew to number into the thousands.
It grew so large, in fact, that advertising agencies and PR firms approached her about allowing client access to the community via advertising. What started as a desire on Megan's part to connect with others like herself, has turned into a healthy business with a community that now numbers in excess of 19,000.
Can you emulate Megan's success? I don't know, but depending on the community you're trying to reach/build, it's possible.
Tomorrow: personal vs. professional in social media and Paul's advice to entrepreneurs.
Read Paul Chaney's blog The Social Media Handyman, join The Digital Handshake Fan page, and follow Paul on twitter.
Good interview, Ive enjoyed it all. Like the point of making site a hub not a silo.
Posted by: Rich Lazzara | Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 01:19 PM