This week in preparing for The John Adam Show www.thejohnadamshow.com I was taken aback by a social media expert who actually recommended AGAINST using a social media campaign at one of our clients.  WOW - that was refreshing!  Usually if you've got a hammer, every problem looks like a nail!

At Growth Nation we don't have all our marketing resources in-house and so we spend a great deal of time researching local marketing and other business resources to be ready to pull them in to a growth project and do a great job.  In social media we rely on some great people - all passionate, capable and REALISTIC.

Let's be real.  Social media is NOT for every business.  One of the biggest tests is if you can create a community of key followers who use social media.  If you can't, then it's not a good fit.

A great example for a business to use social media is a retail store that has a product or service that some people just love.  It might help shoppers to save money or provide a better experience for their kids. 

If you're selling B2B, the same guideline must apply, only this time the people you're attracting should have a passionate belief in some aspect of your business.  Then invite them in to talk about it.

Think about your target customer.  Who is it?  How do they shop and live?  Do they use the internet?  Could they be passionate about at least one aspect of your offering?  If so - jump in.  If not - wait. 

That shouldn't stop you from jumping in to social networking.  Get a profile on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter and grow your network.  At minimum get your message out on these free sites, build your network and wait for the day that you can think of that cool angle to draw in your customers and best prospects on a social media angle.

Being selective helps you improve your marketing ROI - which is what we're all about at Growth Nation.

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
Growth Nation
Scottsdale, AZ USA