Are You Tweeting Away Prospects?

There is no question that social networking sites are a hot topic in business these days. Whatever size company you run, you’re probably seeing notices for seminars and workshops on how to use Twitter or Facebook as part of your marketing strategy. Articles abound pointing to social media as the new “silver bullet” that gives you quick and easy access to a flood of new customers.

Unfortunately, many business, particularly, have seized upon the concept of “social media networking for business” without taking the time to find the appropriate boundaries between “social” and “business.” This is in part because people who do, say, copywriting or website design tend to be “early adopters” of new tools and technology.

Sad to say, however, “early adopter” often means “someone who adopts or applies a new method without thinking about it very much.” Explore what some business people are leaving on their social networking sites, and you will quickly come to the conclusion that some of them are doing themselves more harm than good.

A Recent Hiring Decision

A short while ago, I was looking for a virtual assistant (VA). A VA provides clerical, secretarial, or administrative support to a small business without being physically located in, or even near, the business he or she serves.

I looked at some directories of virtual assistants and compiled a list of candidates for the work. Then I looked at their individual websites for more information. And finally, I did some Internet searches on their names, and their business names. (Hint: to check out a name you know, try plugging the following into the Google search box: “firstname lastname” site:twitter.com)

When it came down to choosing a few finalists, I found myself strongly influenced by what some of the candidates had posted on their Twitter accounts. It was striking to see the difference between the crisp professionalism of the VA’s official website and the sloppy mix of personal views, business activity, and the messy workings of daily life to be found in their “tweets.”

Certainly, lots of people are using Twitter, Facebook, or similar services as a sort of public diary sharing all aspects of their lives, business and personal. If you are doing that, you have plenty of company…

… but not necessarily good company, from a business perspective!

Ben Franklin Was Right Again

Ben Franklin was certainly one of the most remarkable individuals of his, or any time. An exceptional businessman, scientist, inventor, politician, and writer, he began penning his famous autobiography for the pleasure of his own immediate family. And in his introduction, he accused himself of rambling, in his old age, and suggested to his relatives, whom he expected to be reading his memoir, that:

“One does not dress for private company as for a public ball.”

Do you show up for the public ball, expecting to dance with people who might hire your services, dressed like you’re lying on the couch in front of the television, or out back doing your yard work?

Many business seem to be doing just that. I recently did a quick search for web designers on Twitter, and on many sites I found “tweets” about projects they were working on, coding or design issues, and the like.

All well and good. The bad news is that on those very same sites I found remarks like these:

·    “Just ran 5 miles at the regional park. Beutiful [sic] evening”
·    “Sipping on some coffee”
·    “its nice and warm here today”
·    “Waiting in a very long line to get on the train”
·    “Lunching with Joe”
·    “Time to change oil on car…”
·    “I feel like chicken tonight!”
·    “OMG are teenage daughters meant to be this much stress?”
·    “Making a pot roast”
·    “Mel Gibson’s wife files for divorce”
·    “only another 4 hours of work”

When I am trying to decide whether you will put everything you have into making me look good on my website, am I encouraged to hear that you are counting the hours until you can stop working?

If I’m looking for someone who is passionate about web design, or any other service, I’m pretty sure I want someone whose postings reflect that passion about what they do, rather than an obsession with everything but their “paperwork.”

Twitter, in particular, asks the question “What are you doing right now?” As a friend, I might want to know the answer to that question (although frankly, I’m somewhat doubtful about that). As someone who might hire you, that question does not interest me in the least.

The question I want to ask, as a prospective customer of yours, is “What can you do for me right now?”

Separate Lives, Safe Marketing

If you enjoy your Twitter or Facebook or other account, I’m certainly not suggesting that you shut it down. I am recommending that you seriously consider what kind of information you are displaying to anyone who searches for you, including your prospective customers.

We have all seen stories of high school and college kids who posted drunken photos of themselves, only to face disciplinary action. But, as we’ve seen from the list of “tweets” above, you don’t have to go anywhere near that far to show prospective clients why you are not the best person for the job.

Here are some tips to make sure you don’t shoot yourself in the foot with your brilliant new social media marketing strategy:

• Establish separate accounts for your business and personal posts. On your personal page, make sure you point business visitors to your other account.
• Be scrupulously focused on business matters on your business account. It is all too easy to let the personal stuff mix in here and there, if you aren’t vigilant.
• Even on your personal account, think about whether you are publicly displaying information that the prospect could find, view, and use to decide that someone else could do a better job. Don’t mention how drunk you were last night, and make careful decisions about whether you want to express, for example, political views on controversial subjects.

Social networking services like Twitter or Facebook can be used, with care and deliberation, to build your business. But treat that word “social” as a caution signal.

If you are looking for new friends, log on to your account and tell us everything.

If you’re looking for new business, think carefully about what you are doing.