Let’s Try “Business Media” Instead
I’m always asked in my sessions how valuable social media are for marketing consulting/coaching services to corporations. People know my answer, there’s a total silence, breath is held, and I reply, “Not valuable.” This is because corporate buyers—buyers—not HR people, don’t troll the internet looking for professional resources. They ask each other.
If you look at the work of Jonah Berger at Wharton and others, you’ll find that the vast majority, upwards of 80%, of such decisions are made on the basis of peer-to-peer referral. “Do you know someone who’s an excellent strategist? Whom did you use for your company?” We’re all asked by friends for a good doctor, or attorney, or vacation spot, or investment advisor.
LinkedIn in a procession of self-congratulatory notices about awards and promotions, and mindless, tedious, banal polling. Facebook is a good place to show pictures of your kids, vacation, or new car (and, of course, to immerse yourself in confirmation bias with those who agree with you while you ignore everyone else’s opinions despite the facts). Twitter is a good exercise in providing some valuable ideas in a brief space, but it’s not read by buyers, either. (Don’t forget, my market is retail—individuals—at this point, most of you are wholesale—corporate.)
You need to get on the radar screens of buyers and gain those referrals, mostly by asking for them but also doing superb work that generates them independently. Make a speech, launch a podcast series, create a weekly video, write a newsletter, write a book, host an event: Get into the “public square” and off of your computer screen.
And, yes, blogging makes a lot of sense.
