One of the most popular ways to promote your site is through social networking.
However, many of you are taking the “social” part out of the equation because you are relying too heavily on automation.
By automation I mean using various online tools and apps that automatically post content to multiple social networking sites at once.
Don’t get me wrong, automation has its place and it can be immensely convenient, but it’s not always the best way to announce all your content all the time.
I just created a FaceBook fan page last week and I’ve spent a great deal of time researching other successful/active pages. One thing I’ve noticed is that most successful pages have the right mix of automation and personal interaction.
FaceBook vs. Twitter
While many people use FaceBook and Twitter to interact with people and websites, there are thousands of people who hate FaceBook but love Twitter and vice versa. Not to mention, people use these sites very differently.
A lot of people like Twitter because they can get quick updates on their favorite people/sites. They don’t necessarily want to engage in lengthy discussions (not to mention the character limit makes that challenging anyway).
Then you have those who love FaceBook because of the personal interaction, and they love giving their opinions, getting involved in discussions, etc.
So while an automated tweet about your latest blog post is fine for Twitter, perhaps there’s a better way to word this same update on your FaceBook fan page so you engage your fans.
You may want to manually post this update to FaceBook and follow up with a question or comment.
This often sparks comments, questions and discussion which can make your fan page more engaging/interactive (if that’s your goal.)
This is about knowing your audience. As a whole, FaceBook users have different expectations and behaviors than Twitter users. So it’s up to you to find the right mix and balance so you’re getting the most out of each social networking scene.
Automation Isn’t Always Bad
Now, I realize there may be times when automation is appropriate. That’s why I love the Selective Twitter FaceBook app. It allows you to post selected Twitter content to your fan page by simply adding #fb to the end of your tweets.
You can install this app by visiting this link and selecting “Add to My Page.” Then follow the instructions for linking it to your Twitter account.
It’s easy to fall in love with all the apps and tools that automate content publishing, but don’t rely on them so much that you appear too robotic and impersonal.
Remember, it’s called social networking for a reason. 😉
I like using twitter. I use it to promote my homepage and just by posting some funny pictures or making a witty comment I am able to drive some traffic to my site. Engaging with others is defenitely important and due to twitters nature you can keep it fast and simple and still achieve results.
Yes,its true that a blogger must in touch with social site like tweeter and facebook,by this it is easy to get famous and share our post with audience at a time.IF we talk about facebook V/s tweeter,in my own opinion it depends on comfort.
Thanks you lot for post.
Yes,its true that a blogger must in touch with social site like tweeter and facebook,by this it is easy to get famous and share our post with audience at a time.IF we talk about facebook V/s tweeter,in my own opinion it depends on comfort.
Thanks you lot for post.
I have a couple of twitter accounts… on one of them I completely enjoy because we carry on discussions about our favorite sport.
I share some of my blog articles on that account and love reading what the other bloggers post and have to say.
you teach me great stuff everyday
thanks man for post 🙂
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http://www.khotwa.net
http://www.khotwa.net/vb
I had been using facebook for personal use, I rarely even got on it. I now find I enjoy it. I somehow found out I could create my own business page. I don’t know what I had been thinking. It’s only been a week and I have a few ideas. So i’m checking it out like you Lisa. I don’t want to be a blogger, but it’s kinda like that, plus making people aware of my business and my business website. Great article, but all you do is fabulous! I have never used twitter, it doesn’t interest me. Maybe i’m missing out, but I have enough to do. Have to set my priorites.
Hi Lisa. I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your post and found it funny ’cause we almost share the same post subject line…:) While are topics are similar, they are also different in theme…but still I found it worth mentioning a “well done”. I guess great minds do think alike…:) If interested, you can check out the post in the link below. Other than that, I hope all is well. Take care and all the best.
http://www.fromsmallbeginnings.com/please-dont-take-the-social-out-of-social-media/
Lyle
.-= Lyle Robinson´s last blog … Friday Fun – January 15, 2010 =-.
I’m a huge Twitter fan and I just started making more connections on Google Buzz. I find the atmosphere on Buzz to be more conducive to conversations than Twitter. Some users are automating their Tweets to Buzz which might not be a good idea. Buzz is more intense and those quick “shout outs” followed by blog links don’t translate well there. On the other hand, I decided to send my Buzz to Twitter instead and that has worked well for me. This gives me the opportunity for real conversations on Buzz while at the same time, letting my Twitter followers know that I’m buzzing and inviting them to join in.
I try to balance things by not retweeting something I shared in Buzz until at least 24 hours later.
.-= Ileane @ Ms. Ileane Speaks´s last blog … A Growing List of Top Google Buzz Tips =-.
Great points here Lisa.
I know that for me, the totally automated twitter/facebook feeds annoy me after a bit.
I have a couple of twitter accounts… on one of them I completely enjoy because we carry on discussions about our favorite sport.
I share some of my blog articles on that account and love reading what the other bloggers post and have to say.
A completely automated system is a turn off for me. Although I know what to expect from some news agencies etc…. and in that case don’t mind at all.
.-= Yves´s last blog … Creating a new localized online business – Current Challenges =-.
Hi Lisa,
Just wanted to share some success I’ve had with you, since I’ve learned so much from your websites and video content.
On Friday we had 1,400 visitors to the website, which is the highest for any day since the website began on 1st January. The AdSense earnings and other revenue for that day shot up too. So, our financial break-even target of 7,000 visitors a day is now within reach.
I have to say it’s VERY challenging running a commercial website, and requires extreme dedication in many different areas, not least socially…but the rewards for success are considerable. Our site is probably not the best technically designed, but we just keep adding new relevant content every day, depending on which pages and search terms our users are looking for.
So, for all those people who visit Lisa’s website who are wondering if it’s possible to make an income from your website – IT IS POSSIBLE.
Thanks again for all your help Lisa.
Hello Lisa,
I would first like to say I love checking out the content on your Blog posts and websites. I am now turning people I know onto your site. It’s very informative and vital. I have had to change tactics and after reading this April 12 post I have come to understand I am on the right track. I am taking a proactive stance and becoming more “Social” on the social media I am part of. The auto post apps are just shooting me in the foot before I even get started.
Thanks Lisa
Hey Lisa, let me start off saying good content. The question I had was what do you mean by automated? What kind programs out there post to social networks automatically? I’ve never heard of this and was curious.
.-= Noah rainey´s last blog … Nofollow or Follow Links? =-.
First, let me say that I really like the positivity of your site!
This is a great, timely, topic – I find it odd that I see so many people talking about using social media in a social way, but still 80% (yes, I am estimating) of the Tweets that I see are basically advertisements.
Now, I agree that it is ok to do so, but I wonder – is the idea of social media being used for purely social purposes only 20% of the time really in the true spirit of social media? Perhaps it is time for a new term.
Have a great day!
Social media is all about the relationship. If you simply yell your message into the abyss you will not have much success as that type of marketing is being “tuned out”. Build relationships, then leverage those relationships.
.-= Business Logos´s last blog … Gourmet Restaurant =-.
I have found keeping up with facebook and twitter a lot of work. so I limit my time on them. I make sure that I am paricipatiing in the community conversation. I find that easier on facebook than twitter. Facebook feels more social to me than twitter. I like twitter and i am getting some traffic from it, I am not getting any customers, but I think it will take more time on twitter.
.-= Melva´s last blog … List of Home Based Business Ideas- Start on the Weekend and Build from There =-.
You’ve raised a nice topic here…
It’s really about finding the right balance between manual and automated notification.
Also, Understanding the language/tone of each platform is also useful to know.
.-= John Lufadeju´s last blog … Re: Maintain Connectivity With Your Audience =-.
Nice post, and something that triggers those “am I doing it right” feelings. I try to do both actually too, but automation makes it very handy. It does have this “fakeness” to it, yet, we also know we want those backlinks, and lots of them, and dont wanna do it by hand. I promote the kind of tools that make it darn easy for people. Yet..When I do sit down and truly communicate, its actually more fun. ah…the balance…
.-= Jan Banis´s last blog … Viral Submitter Pro Review – Viral Submitter Pro Will Help You (A Lot!) =-.
Though some people will disagree, and the social networking landscape is constantly changing, I’m of the general opinion that Twitter is for business, Facebook is for friends. For my business, Twitter works because a large number of Twitterers are based in or have connections with London, and that is my site’s niche. The trending tool is incredibly useful in finding out what’s most popular (constantly changes in line with world events) and providing Tweets that give information relevant to a particular trend. Twitter is also very simple to use, works on most cell and mobile handsets, and best of all it makes your site visible in the Google SERPs. I’d be interested in hearing from anyone how Facebook compares as a marketing tool…Come to think of it, Lisa, is anyone using Cliqset?
I’d rather spend time with real friends on Facebook.
I tried Twitter out and as I’ve said before, I just don’t get it. I read through ten short blurbs and it’s just confusion. So, I leave the site as quickly as I came.
I set up a Twitter feed and found a few spammy friends that shared in the niche my posts would be about. Got very little traffic in return from my efforts, like “ZERO” in an entire month. So, perhaps being more social is the key to having more success as it relates to the goals I’ve set for my websites and blogs.
I have to put forth effort with things that are really working for me. Youtube works, Facebook works, focusing on writing articles and good SEO practices works, but Twitter? na.
Facebook for me is much more social.
Jordy, I also only use FB for my real life friends and family (I put everyone else who requests to be a friend in a limited group that cannot see my personal photos, status updates etc. I just prefer to keep it that way. I expose so much about my business life online that it’s nice to have SOMEthing semi private. Notice I said SEMI. Nothing online is ever 100% private. lol)
But since you like FB so much, you can also create a Fan page like I did if you want a more social atmosphere for your site visitors and it offers another subtle way of promoting your site. That’s what I’m experimenting with now with the fan page. We’ll see how it goes. You may want to give it a try.
In the early days I did allow all “friends” to see photos, etc. on FB but quickly discovered that some people had other agendas when adding me as a friend. I got quite a few offers to be more than a “friend” from strangers and it got a bit creepy. lol So now those people can only see my basic profile info.
But I didn’t want to NOT accept them as friends because some people really do want to connect with me on FB for business purposes and I don’t want to cut them off totally. It’s nice that FB allows us to create groups for our friends and we can control what they can and cannot see.
Hi Lisa,
It would be great if you keep us updated with how the fan page goes, and if it actually hit its goals.
BR,
Amr
Excellent point! Its called social networking for a reason you are suppose to *interact* not just shout your sales pitch into the abyss!
.-= PowerPoint Templates´s last blog … Chocolates PowerPoint Template =-.
With all the social networks to choose from it is super easy to go from social networking, to spam-dropping. I suggest selecting a few no more than four that you can really be involved in and just leave the rest alone. Social networking can be a time-consuming activity and it’s easy to get caught up in a time warp making it difficult to get anything else done.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog … The Simplest Guest Post Contest Ever =-.
Very good topic, Lisa. Social Networking is a fantastic way of engaging users to find out what they like and dislike, and using this information to build website traffic. Being that Twitter is a conversation, it’s vital to keep your feed regularly updated.
Hey Lisa
I wrote a post about this yesterday.
Social Media is all about being SOCIAL.
Yes it is a great place to market but it should be people first, marketing second (in my opinion).
Social Media site were not created for savvy online marketers. They were create for the people to be used by the people for social interaction.
With PPC, when you click a link you expect to be sold to in some for or another.
With SM people don’t want to be sold to directly or indirectly unless that is what THEY choose.
Social Media marketing is huge and you can get a lot furhter with it if your just more SOCIAL.
Have a great week
Dwayne
.-= Dwayne Huggins´s last blog … How To Use Social Media To Generate Highly Targeted Traffic To Your Sites =-.
You’re right Lisa, automated isn’t always bad because it saves time. But the time that were saving we NEED to be “Social” in the Network. We need to building quality relationships with others in our niche. I received a lot of traffic recently to my blog mainly due to the socializing and relationship building I’ve been doing lately. So I’m a testament that, Yes there is power and importance in building relationships!!
Great post Lisa! Thanks for sharing!!
.-= Jarrod@ Optimistic Journey´s last blog … You Know You’re Favored by God When… =-.
I can attest to Jarrod’s success as well – he is a great example folks of how to drive traffic to your website through networking.
.-= Jeremy Johnson´s last blog … Approach Motivation and Avoidance Motivation =-.
automation helps me much for submitting blog post to many social networking, but it’s so hard to sign up manually. and if you over post for a day, social networking will categorized you as a spam. so use make automation wisely
.-= kris´s last blog … Isn’t it time for another Roman Catholic President? (United States)? =-.
Hey Lisa,
You’ve just sowed the seed of doubt in me. What am I talking about?
Several days ago I’ve noticed, that Alex (from Blogussion.com) is tweeting posts from his archives like “From the Archives: Here goes the title”. And he was tweeting like that several times per a day.
What’s here important is that I have, actually, followed one of the blog post links, because it interested me.
I’ve figured out, that it was another plugin he was using, only after.
Now I’m using it (2-3 auto tweets per day, with a random period). It’s called – “Tweet old posts”.
What’s your opinion on this?
.-= Allan´s last blog … Suggest a Blog Using CommentLuv: 15+ Needed =-.
Allan, I don’t have a problem with automation, just OVERautotmation. Sometimes tweeting old tweets/content is helpful, just in moderation. I sometimes tweet old videos and old blog posts. So it’s not the automation I have a problem with, it’s about finding the right mix, rhythm and making sure you don’t OVERdo it. But you have to experiment. Track your tweets and compare the CTR of your tweets. Automation can be a handy tool, so I don’t want to appear as if I’m totally against it. That wasn’t my point at all.
Thank you for your soon reply 🙂
I agree that communication is key with any social site.
But same time I use a couple automated tools that make my daily life much more efficient.
But same time I am there twitter or facebook always communicating and sharing and open to and questions.
This works for blog comments,, replying to a comment is a the best way to communicate with your readers/commenters. it amazes me at how many “big” bloggers reply to less then 10% their comments if any at all.
It’s all about communication, blog, twitter, facebook doesn’t matter.
.-= John Paul Aguiar´s last blog … Google Says – A Strong Twitter Community Will Get Your Tweets Ranked On First Page =-.
I know. I don’t care how busy I get, I try to make time to reply to some of my blog comments. Can’t get to them all of course, but I try my best to reply to as many as I can. It makes a difference to people, plus I enjoy it!
Lisa, I agree completely! I think you d a good job of having a few social tweets a week that don’t link to anything. It maintains credibility/relatability and makes you seem human!
.-= Grady´s last blog … Take The Box Office Challenge! =-.
Hi Lisa
Good morning early bird gets the worm 🙂
I had to unfollow a few people on twitter for that auto post nonsense, pretty cheesy tactic. I could of elaborated on the fact that most people in social media aren’t to social but it’s Monday and I hope to have a positive week 🙂
I have to spend a whole day study your stuff
maybe more then one, what’s weird is you lay the gold right at people’s feet and they ignore that and mention something worthless, this often happens on my own blog. I may just become your student the hell with Bloggers LOL 🙂
Have a great week
Thanks
.-= John Sullivan´s last blog … Are you a product of your environment ? =-.