Social Media Part III
by John R. Sedivy
Background
In Social Media Part II, I elaborated upon two views of the role of social media in networking originally identified in Part I of this segment. Also, I provided an example of the approach that had worked best in my experience and provided guidance on how to implement social media in your business or individual career. In Part III I will discuss social media brands.
Consistency and Exclusivity
In a previous posting I had discussed the importance of consistency and exclusivity to your brand. I believe this concept applies to social media as well. The social media employed by your brand should be consistent in that each tool should invoke the same or similar images when you think of each tool individually and they should each be aligned with your brand. When considered in total, each individual piece should form a complete picture of your brand.
Exclusivity might sound a little strange for a social networking tool given that most tools are free of charge for a basic package and that anyone may sign up for use of such tools. You may ask the question, how can something be exclusive if by its very nature it is all inclusive? I struggled with this a bit myself and arrived at the following conclusion. Social media, just like the Internet, or any living system is a self-organizing entity. My opinion is that social media self-organizes by attracting people and organizations that are consistent with the overall brand or message offered by said tool. Like attracts like; therefore a social media outlet is exclusive not by a formal gate or barrier, but by the group of individuals congregating within the group and their comfort level and interest in participating in the group. As mentioned in the Consistency and Exclusivity post, some people will gravitate towards brands such as Apple, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks as opposed to similar brands, so is it with social media.
A Practical Example
When starting Cape Cod Branding my partner, Amy, and I made the conscious decision to limit our posting to a few of the many social networking tools that populate the Internet. The rationale behind this decision was that we only wanted our brand associated with the higher quality tools that aligned with the image we wanted to portray. This does not mean that we will not expand to other outlets as more become available and we discover additional social networking tools that align with our image.
The social media sites that we use for Cape Cod Branding are Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. Although I consider Facebook more of a fun distraction to stay current with friends and colleagues I find it’s picking up momentum for business application. In particular, Facebook provides you with the ability to create a page for your business and inform others of your activities and new happenings in your business. Facebook is consistent with our image, after all it was a Harvard creation.
Linkedin is what I consider the most serious of the social networking tools. We use Linkedin as individuals, rather than a consolidated business use at this point. For example, Amy and I both have individual Linkedin accounts with our career profiles, but there is not a single Cape Cod Branding Linkedin profile as I do not believe the site allows for this option. I am considering starting a group specifically for Cape Cod Branding as a potential way around this shortcoming. Linkedin is consistent with our brand as it portrays a clean, simple, professional appearance. Besides, Linkedin is the top choice among entrepreneurs.
Finally, I find Twitter to be a fast, easy, fun way to connect others within my industry as well as a good method of collaborating. I am really just scratching the surface of Twitter but so far have found it effective for gaining a following, driving traffic to your website or blog, and finally, receiving updates as when others who may be of interest post new material. Twitter is consistent with my brand due mainly to the look and feel, ease of use, and rising popularity.
I have provided the individual value that these tools offer and the respective rationale for how they are consist with the overall Cape Cod Branding image and how they are exclusive in their own right. Combined, each tool will offer your business a total value that is great than the sum of it’s individual parts by providing a consistent image, exposure of your brand, and residual traffic to your website and blog.
Which Social Media Should I Use?
The answer to this depends on what you wish to accomplish. Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter work best for my business, however other options may be more appropriate for you. When evaluating each individual tool first consider if you like the look and feel of the tool and if it is easy to use. Next consider what you are attempting to accomplish with each tool. Finally, consider the combined social media package and determine if as a whole your image is consistent and exclusive with your brand.
Individually and combined, your social media package must be consistent and exclusive!
Social Media Part II
by John R. Sedivy
Background
In Social Media Part I, I discussed two views of the role of social media in networking. One view is that of limiting connections to an immediate circle of close confidants with multiple points of connection and the other is to expand the circle with contacts that you may only meet virtually. In Part II I will discuss the evolution of social media.
The Evolution of the Business Landscape 
I certainly am not debating the importance of building relationships via traditional means with multiple points of connection. However, what I am proposing is that social networking and the Internet as a whole has transformed the way we are currently doing business, and is continuing to evolve the business landscape. For example, with my latest business venture, Cape Cod Branding, and the previous business venture jrSedivy, I had not met a single client face-to-face. Client interactions took place exclusively through virtual means such as e-mail, phone calls, and instant messaging (IM). In my opinion the lack of a meeting did not slow down the process or weaken the relationship (I consider these relationships quite strong), and in many instances expedited the process due to communications occurring at each party’s earliest convenience, since they were after all occurring virtually.
Which Approach Works Best?
In my opinion as with many questions there is no absolute answer, really the answer depends on your needs and what you wish to accomplish. For me, the second approach of expanding one’s social circle is ideal and allows for the cataloging of contacts that I have come into contact with either virtually or in-person. To date, every social media contact has been helpful if called upon for a reasonable request, and in some circumstances I have been able to assist others, which in my mind makes this approach worthwhile and a win-win for both parties. Another advantage I have found with this approach is the ability to easily recall information about previous contacts. Social media tools generally have a comprehensive profile for each member which usually includes a picture and background information which in my experience helps trigger my memory about a previously met contact. Lastly, I have found that like any relationship, contacts established through social media have various degrees of strength which largely depend on common experiences and level of interest. For example, a contact made just through the sake of connecting may start the relationship. Once started we both discover we have a common interest in branding, which bumps it up a notch. Next we discover that we both possess military experience and have visited the same locations, which brings it up another couple levels, and so it goes. This does not mean that the first approach of limiting your network does not have merit, again, it depends on your overall objective. If you desire to operate a business with a target market within close proximity to your business the first approach may work best. The circumstances would allow for continual networking within the small community of geographically close individuals. However, there is opportunity cost here as your business will have limited exposure once outside the immediate community. 
What Does This Mean for My Business or Individual Career?
My advice is to try both approaches or a combination thereof. Try an approach, monitor the results, and then adjust. Use what works best for you and continue to evolve, my comments should serve as a starting point and not an end all. Also remember that what may work for you at one point, may not be as effective at another point and should be tailored based on your specific circumstance at a given moment in time.
To Be Continued… In Social Media Part III I will discuss social media brands.
Try an approach, monitor the results, and then adjust!
Social Media Part I
by John R. Sedivy
What Makes Social Media Effective?
Tim Klabunde, who is a former classmate of mine at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School pens a blog titled cofebuz of which I am a regular reader and subscriber. As fellow students of a MBA program I had witnessed firsthand Tim’s knowledge and presentation skills concerning the field of marketing, and I credit Tim in part for sparking my interest in branding and marketing. Although we both blog about marketing, his target audience is focused on the corporate sector while my audience is for small specialty boutiques and our individual styles reflect this. Tim recently wrote a blog concerning effective use of social media such as Linkedin for networking. The blog emphasizes the importance of multiple points of connection such as the “intersection of multiple communication points, including online networking sites, networking functions, follow-up e-mails, letters, association events, phone calls, lunches, coffee, and meetings.” The main point is that social networking in and of itself is ineffective and must be augmented by the other listed items. I have been thinking about this topic quite a bit lately as it is integral to my business model and I have heard strong arguments for either case. Should one limit their Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter connections to individuals they plan to follow-up with or meet, or is simply linking when invited sufficient?
My Experience with Social Media
I have used social media for about two years. Initially I was very strict with my connections and limited connecting with people I had known well, using the rationale of quality over quantity. This approach maintained a high quality level, however it was slow building and my network was really inbred with people I had known within my industry with little diversity, in other words not terribly exciting. As part of a New Years Resolution for 2008 I had resolved to increase networking and as a result met many, many more people throughout this year. This led to an increase in connections with people who became friends, acquaintances I had met at dinner parties and other events, as well as friends of friends who sent me invites to connect on the various social media outlets. As a result my network grew exponentially, increased in diversity and became more difficult to track. In some instances quality had suffered slightly and I have had to remove connections, but this has been extremely rare and it became easier to screen as I gained more experience.
To Be Continued… In Social Media Part II I will discuss what I consider the evolution of social media and my preferred approach for the use of social media. In the meantime…
What has been your experience with social media? Have you discovered an optimal approach for its use?
