Every now and then I like to take your pulse and find out where you stand with using social networking sites for your business. It's been awhile since I asked so I figured it's time for another poll.
The last time I asked (in 2008!), I included blogs, Flickr and MySpace. At the time, blogs edged out Facebook by a few percent. In May 2010, I posed the hypothetical question: if you could only use one social networking site, which one would it be….Facebook beat Twitter and LinkedIn.
This time, I'm most interested in social networking sites, not blogs. The landscape has changed a bit and now includes Google+. While there are hundreds of niche social networking sites, I'm interested in knowing which of the "big 5" you're using to promote and build your business.
Please select the PRIMARY social networking site you use for your business. I realize you most likely use multiple sites, however, I'm curious where you spend most of your energy to attract and connect with clients and prospects, as well as promote your business.
I would love to hear your thoughts on why you use one site over another or if you have changed your focus from one site to another and why. Please post your comments below.
Me? I find myself gravitating from Facebook to LinkedIn more and more. I've found the level of business-related conversation and traffic back to my blog, better since starting a group on LinkedIn. Many of my colleagues feel the depth of connection is better on Google+, though the jury is still out for me since very few people in my community have migrated over there yet.
I look forward to your response!
I use Facebook most of the time for my product-based business. I have recently launched a service-based business. I find my Twitter, LinkedIn and G+ more effective for this business. Dyane
Thanks for voting, Dyane. What do you think the difference is between product and service that makes Facebook better for products and the other sites better for services?
Hi Denise,
I’m all about twitter. The posts are short, the conversations can be live more easily (in fact I’ve been running a live chat for writers –#writechat– every Sunday on twitter for almost three years), and I’ve cultivated a large targeted list of followers in the writing community. Because of my 48,000 followers on twitter, my blog gets lots of traffic, I’m made some amazing connections (as well as friends), and I can make a living doing what I love.
Thanks for voting, Julie…love your success story with Twitter!
I chose Facebook, mainly because of ease of posting, messaging and following. It’s also where I connect with a wider community of followers. Twitter is a close 2nd for me since there is a vast literary/book/writing community on Twitter who truly support one another with encouragement and generosity when it’s free but less so if it involves a purchase. Interesting, isn’t it?
I haven’t migrated to Google+ either, waiting out its effectiveness since I often feel too scattered and prefer to stay focused on one or two venues. I’d like to be more engaged on LinkedIn but just haven’t “learned the ropes” over there yet. I feel guilty that I don’t give it more attention because of what I’ve read here and also hear from others. I know it’s a matter of getting more familiar with strategies for using LinkedIn, but what to do? Do you have a good resource or program to familiarize me with LinkedIn strategies, Denise? Thank you!
Thanks for adding your vote to the poll, Debra. The key is to spend time where your audience is, the audience who are likely to turn into raving fans and customers. I find Facebook to be a challenge for getting visibility and interaction on my business page due to the complicated algorithms Facebook has in place. They choose what your fans and friends see, or don’t see. You have little control.
In the summer I invested in Lewis Howes’ LinkedInfluence program which I found very helpful for getting a better handle on LinkedIn. Lots of good tips and tricks. https://denisewakeman.com/li (affiliate).
Yes, good point on the Facebook algorithms. That is the part that doesn’t work for me too. Thanks for pointing out Lewis Howes as a resource. I’ll definitely check out his program. Thank you, Denise.
I chose LinkedIn because, all told, I spend more time and get more value there. Facebook might give me more direct impact on a particular post, but LinkedIn is where I go for business advice, ideas, and connections.
mostly facebook and linkedin are the sites used for businesses
I see most people have great success with Facebook but I’ve found Twitter to be the best for me at this time.
I get far more interaction on Twitter than any other social network.
The weird thing is I get more interaction from LinkedIn than Facebook. Maybe I need to take a course or two huh!
I am a metalsmith who makes primarily jewelry and sells it at craft fairs. I like Facebook because many of my customers are on it, plus I can draw attention to the craft fairs I am attending as well as send out a photo of new items. Also, I can set up events and invite people to attend. It sets up lots of buzz when all the vendors do this. Free publicity!
Deitra, I agree that Facebook is the best venue for showcasing your jewelry. Would you share the link to your Facebook page so we can check out your jewelry? Thanks!
Since my effort is more B2C than B2B, I have found my most recent time on Google+ to bear more fruit, with Facebook a close second. In Facebook, the interaction in class/interest groups has been productive, especially for finding guest bloggers.
For my nonprofit work (I manage the social media for our local community foundation), Facebook is definitely at the top of the list by a good margin.
Elizabeth, you’re the first and so far only one who has voted for Google+. What kind of fruit is G+ bearing for your business? What type of content are you posting/sharing?
Hi Guys
We currently have more than 10,000 people on the Facebook pages of the two brands we manage ( http://www.facebook.com/thejewelhut and http://www.facebook.com/thewatchhut ) Twitter has proved useful to talking to our designers and certain other people with a higher profile, but for mass impact its not as useful.
In retail you have to go where the people are, and love it or hate it at the moment that means Facebook
Denise,
My WordPress and Thesis Theme Video Tutorials have been watched over 31,000 times on YouTube and that is my second greatest source of referrals to my blog. Facebook is my greatest source of referrals to my blog (according to the stats packages I use.). Other than uploading a video to YouTube, I don’t spend too much time there, so despite all the referrals, I can’t vote for that as my number #1. My greatest source of referrals to my blog is by far Facebook and that’s where I spend most of my time because that’s the most fun to be. Thanks to you for letting me post links to my video tutorials on your FB Fan Page. I am hearing more and more that LinkedIn is the place to be if you want referrals for your blog AND your business. I am taking a free webinar on LinkedIn on Wednesday night. So the next frontiers for me are LinkedIn and Twitter although I am already on both of them, I am def not an expert!
Great Survey!
Thanks again for all your do!
Sincerely,
Jupiter Jim
Hi Jim, thanks for taking the poll and commenting. As you know, traffic is one thing, conversion to buyer is another. Which site are most of your customers coming from? Just curious if you care to share. Blog on!
I’ve been reading recently that B2C finds better response on FB and B2B on LinkedIn. That does seem to be the case for me. I’ve been more active there and getting better interaction like you mention compared to my FB fan page. Might be interesting to add a future question asking which type of business people have and which one they prefer.
Thanks for taking the poll, Cheryl. I agree, for a longer, multi-question survey, finding out whether a business is B2B or B2C is important. That’s the next step. I’m promoting the poll on all my social platforms so I can get a diverse response if possible. So far, Facebook is still the favorite.
Facebook is also my mayor platform (although Twitter is a close second), but that might change now I am slowly using Google+ more and more. So, for me it’s a bit tough to say at this moment.
Thanks for taking the poll, Marieke. Are you getting much interaction on G+?
Thanks for your insight into the social media scene, Denise! I voted for Facebook, probably because I understand it more than other options and have received more traffic to my website and blog than any other venue. After watching your video about LinkedIn, I created a community group for local business owners and believe it is the runner up! Thanks for all of your help with Internet Marketing! I really appreciate it! – Wendy
Thanks for taking the poll, Wendy. I know people spend a lot time on Facebook, I’m curious if it’s actually producing business/clients. Are you using a Facebook business page or your personal profile to get traffic to your site?