Have you ever felt like you should be doing something just because everyone else seems to be doing it? I feel like that sometimes. When the web became a household convention, every business decided it was absolutely necessary to have a website. Having a web presence became a much greater priority than having a printed brochure. In fact, some potential clients didn’t even take your business seriously if you didn’t have a website. When blogs emerged as a mass communication tool (with the potential to earn residual income through advertisers if your readership was high enough), many businesses started a blog. When Facebook social networking was adapted as a to-do item in every person’s daily task list, many businesses saw an opportunity to advertise their products and services to millions of people by joining this “brave new world.” A client once asked me if they should have a blog, join facebook and/or twitter because every other business seemed to be doing it. So I replied, “Is every business doing it?” The answer to the question is no.
Before you can decide how your business interacts with potential clients, you must first decide who your business is. You must first know and understand your brand. Only then can you decide how your brand will communicate. My friends know me pretty well. All of them have known me for the last ten years, at least. They know the things I’m most likely to do, and least likely to do based on what they know about me. In the same way they know me, you must know your brand. If your brand personality is conducive to the Facebook or Twitter environment, go for it. Any business communication effort—be it blogging, Facebook, Twitter, website, brochure, flyer, other marketing collateral, printed or electronic—requires dedication, diligence, time and energy for success. Repetition and consistency build/strengthen a brand. It’s okay to do what everyone else is doing, so long as it makes sense for your brand. Your greatest challenge will be figuring out how to differentiate your business from others that live in the same environment. Aye, there’s the rub.