How to Choose the Right Social Media Tool for the Job

Let’s say it’s snowing, and you want to clear a path from your door to the street.  You have a few options.  If it’s just a dusting, you might sweep it all away with a broom.  If it’s a heavier snow, you might need a shovel.  And if it’s a blizzard, you may need to borrow your neighbor’s snowblower.

What you wouldn’t do is use every tool in your garage, plus whatever you can find in your neighbor’s house, plus the services of a professional snow removal agency.  That’s overkill, and it’s a waste of your time, money and effort.

So why do so many people do the same thing with social media?

Because they don’t have a goal.

Hammering in the Dark: Social Media Without the Strategy

Twitter is a tool.  Facebook is a tool.  YouTube, Flickr, Gatsby, Buzz… the list gets longer every day.

Like any tools, these social media services only make sense when they’re used to accomplish a specific goal.  So before you start building profiles on a dozen different social media sites, ask yourself:

Why am I doing this?

Why are you about to expend your own time, effort and resources (much less someone else’s) mastering the use of a handful of web services?

This isn’t a trick question; it’s a necessity.  And everyone’s answer will be different.

For example, your goal might be…

• Selling your work
• Marketing your services
• Finding a full-time job
• Networking with your peers
• Researching new initiatives
• Raising awareness of your brand
• Asserting your individual personality
• Learning how the tools themselves work

Like the tools in any toolbox, social media tools only become relevant when they’re applied to the tasks that help us achieve our goals.  Until then, you’re just hammering in the dark.

Great, I Have a Goal… Now What?

Once you articulate your goal, you can decide what steps are necessary to accomplish it.  And once you know the steps, you can choose the right tools for each job.

Your choice of tools will depend on your circumstances.  For example:

• How would your use of Twitter change if your goal was sales, not brand-building?
• Would a strict focus on networking change the kinds of photos you upload to Flickr?
• If you’re actively seeking freelance work, is your time better spent on YouTube or Facebook?

Again, there’s no “right” answer, just better and worse answers.  Your time is precious, and the less time you spend spinning your wheels aimlessly, the more time you can invest in actions that matter.

You can always make a smoothie with a hammer, but it’s going to take awhile.

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Tags: Business, common sense, Freelance, networking, perception, Social Media, time