With that one catchy phrase--"We'll leave the light on for ya"--Motel 6 went from just another cheap chain on the cloverleaf to the friendly outpost waiting for your weary family with smiles and an extra clean towel any time you decided to drop by.
It's a great analogy for the commitment that establishing a social media site requires. When you set up and publicize a Twitter account, a Facebook page, a blog, you're inviting people to come on by.
But then you need to be there when they come by--you need to leave the light on.
If they visit once and find no one there--no new content, no conversation--they might assume they just missed you. If they visit twice and find no one there, they might start to question the sincerity of your invitation to drop on by. If they swing by a third time and there's no sign of life, they're going to be annoyed that they wasted their time trying to see you. And that might be worse than never issuing the invitation at all.
So keep your sites updated. Leave the light on. If the investment of time is too great and your electricity bill is skyrocketing, close down that location until you can commit to a grand reopening. Or shutter the site for good and concentrate your efforts on only those properties that you can manage.
Yes, this post is riddled with hypocrisy. As you can see from my last post, my blog bulb is a little dim. (Commence with the dim bulb jokes.) But because this is a property that I want to invest in, I'm planning instead to shut down my Twitter site. I manage several business Twitter accounts, so when it comes to my own, I'm less inclined to sit on the porch and stay a while. I'm also going to close down my Foursquare account. If anyone was looking for me there, they'd have to fumble around in the pitch black.
Meanwhile, I'm upping the wattage on my LinkedIn page, adding some disco ball sparkle to my Facebook page, and I intend to string Christmas lights on my website at www.juliannewill.com. Shoot me a note at julianne@juliannewill.com if you'd like to hang out with me over at my home on Facebook. I'll not only leave the light on, I'll make you a plate of cookies, too.
Because it's important to make the guests you've invited feel welcome. If you build a social media site, keep it up. Go make Tom Bodett proud.
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3 comments:
Good for you. Less is more. I've been thinking of ditching Twitter, too, but it still plays a small role in my social media strategy. And I haven't started using Foursquare yet (other than for clients), and I don't plan to anytime soon. You can't do it all.
Whatever, geezers - Foursquare 4 life!
In all seriousness, while I too struggle to keep up with everything (Tumblr is the red-headed stepchild of my social media family), what I also find increasingly difficult is "segmenting" myself through my social media properties. I'd like my Facebook and Twitter to be an outlet for my less serious, more playful side, while using LinkedIn and Delicious for more serious, work-related efforts.
But I'm finding those lines becoming more blurred all the time. Which leaves me thinking about what my approach and strategy should be moving forward. My guess is I'm not alone in that erosion of separate social media identities.
Segmenting social presences is a challenge. As you know, it's the first fear new clients express--I don't want everyone whom I know professionally to know all about me personally.
As you also know, there are ways to fundamentally segment contacts: Use a LinkedIn account for professional posts and connections. Twitter can be a good adjunct, because it's concise, without all the photo albums and personal detail. Make Facebook your personal outlet.
But depending on how your communities grew, it might not be possible. I was on Facebook long before LinkedIn, so many of my professional contacts are there.
And quite frankly, many people cross the boundaries. Nearly every job or freelance opportunity I've had has come through word-of-mouth or referral(shout-out to Anthony here). My friends become clients. My clients become friends. I love the fact that social media makes it possible to stay in touch with everyone--you never know what opportunities or friends are going to come along.
It always seems to come back to the answer that no one likes: Don't do anything in public that you wouldn't want your boss or your mother to see. And it's OK to have a personality in your professional profile. But if you're doing a keg stand and your buddy is taking photos for Facebook, you may want to back away from the camera.
I concede the Foursquare throne to you, by the way. The last time I checked, you were mayor of like 17 major municipalities. I'm so busy hitting refresh on my email wherever I go that I forget to check in. Can you check me in from next door?
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