Whitney Greer Communications

Why do so many business owners panning for social media gold, fall prey to the popular idea that spending more time on tweets and wall posts equates to more business. Caught up in the prospecting rush they lose sight of audience and business goals. Read More »

Why do so many business owners panning for social media gold, fall prey to the popular idea that spending more time on tweets and wall posts equates to more business?  Caught up in the prospecting rush, they lose sight of their audience and business goals.  It even happened to me — someone who regularly reminds clients to study an audience and create quality content that resonates no matter what the format. 

Once the fever cleared, I started evaluating.   The following examples – an unknown PR consultant, Russell Simmons, and Ellen DeGeneres — made it into my personal social media-mining handbook.

The Lucky Strike: These happy accidents result from watching online events unfold and using them to our advantage.  For example, when a PR practitioner read angry tweets about a company committing a media faux pas, she jumped into action.  Within the hour she wrote a blog stating her opinion on how the crisis should have been handled and then tweeted away to drive traffic to her blog.  It’s the equivalent of catching a glimmer in the water (after watching for hours) and finding a nugget.  Whether it made her rich is hard to determine.  However, she did hit it right on positioning herself and gaining visibility in the short run. 

Missing the Mark:  Russell Simmons, the hip-hop and fashion mogul featured in the September issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, inspires many creative entrepreneurs.  After reading the article, I felt compelled to follow him on twitter only to receive a deluge of comments about his yoga habits.  I unfollowed him very shortly after feeling like I’d hit Fools Gold.  If only he had used his comments to inspire or clue me in on something relevant about his new ventures, I might  have stayed around longer and actually checked out his argyle sweater line. 

Hitting Pay Dirt: Research into television positions for a client pointed to an opening on the Ellen DeGeneres show. Linking to the site, I noted many interactive entertainment items all over the place with a guess the guest quiz, behind the scenes videos, and prize giveaways – all reasons to come back.  Viewers were invited to link to her Twitter for up-to-date info on a prize giveaway.  Note: it was the only way to get the information – compelling if you want the prize.  Other feeds, listed below, invite action like voting or viewing.  The key here is keeping people engaged and entertained.

• about 18 hours agoEllen said, Just 3 days left to vote for a small business to win $100k in business support from Amex. Go to @nbc.com/shinealight & vote.
• about 19 hours agoEllen said, Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson are making their US television debut on my show today! You have to watch.
• about 20 hours ago Ellen said, Today I play Vince Vaughn’s favorite game: Humdinger, with Vince Vaughn! http://su.pr/2sQGdt

What’s the purpose of your tweets and posts?  Do they add up to a bigger picture or help you meet a business goal?  Do they move your audience to action?   Answers to these and other burning questions appear regularly on this blog. Subscribe or stop back soon.  

I’ll also be giving away a free gift on Twitter over the next few days.  To find out what more follow me @whitneygreerful or by linking below.