1. Posting my URL on social networks increased my search engine ranking, which then increased my website traffic.

2. I have obtained a couple of new clients who found me via social networks. And I’ve had some of the people I met on social networks refer my services to their friends.

3. I met two top-notch vendors whose services I now use regularly.

4. I have received some excellent book recommendations from friends on my social networks.

5. I’ve become “friends” with several authors whose books I love and have enjoyed hearing about the projects they’re currently working on. As an avid reader, corresponding with some of my favorite authors is comparable to how many people would feel about talking to their favorite movie star.

6. I’ve learned a lot from watching how some of the marketing gurus do product launches and networking on sites like Facebook.

7. I’ve stayed connected and reconnected with many old friends, colleagues and relatives, including some who live overseas. Using Facebook, I’m able to keep them abreast of my work activities and my family. I’ve even shared my vacation photos with them by posting the pictures on my Facebook profile and have enjoyed looking at pictures of their adventures and their families as well.

8. I believe social media will grow as a marketing tool in the coming years. The only way to really understand it and to be able to incorporate it into the marketing services that I provide my clients is to be a part of it. I need to know how to “work it” before I can preach its virtues to my clients.

Whew! Went on for quite a bit longer than I meant to. Guess I like social networking!

Susan

Your experience parallels mine and that of many tens of my clients over the past year. It’s not just a time investment issue.

Marketing and PR require a return on investment. To get that REI we invest time, effort and expertise into designing messages and reaching out and meaningfully communicating that message to the right people. The actions they take in response to that messaging is what we are after.

It’s rare for social marketing messages to achieve that. I’ve yet to really see procedures and methods that reliably reach the right audiences, and produce a documented response.

People who have created their own national name recognition can generate huge social audiences and do quite well informing them of new products and selling opportunities.

But to unknowns or startups, the audience doesn’t exist and the ROI isn’t there. So these tools may not be as readily utilized to produce interest in what someone has to offer. The original ice has yet to be broken. The product or the person has yet to get known as special and worthy. The more traditional means of business and product design and target marketing and pr have to be used to lay the foundation and create a viable base.

Finally, someone making sense out there! You’re actually way ahead of me as my web site is stone age and I haven’t even started a blog - although I take a few minutes each week to read a few. I joined Linked-in because of several invites, but I now take forever to process those e-mails. I am a solo copywriter like you - and busy, I also have 5 kids. After a day of heads down writing, I barely can get in all the conversations and activities I want to / should have with family - let alone with everyone else out there who might “connect.” Like you, I would much prefer to meet with a few close friends, and my wife and I love to take in a movie. Certainly there is always more billable work to be done as well.

I would bag the whole idea of social networking if not for the fact that I am writing my first book - hopefully one of many (for now in the creative non-fiction genre, I plan to self publish), and I would like to have commercial success. I understand that I am an unknown author, and that viral marketing, social networking, etc. will be one of the best ways to open doors and create a community that could on some level become readers of my work. So, to address this issue, I have an initial plan.

During the middle of the week, i.e. Tues-Thurs, the kids are making it to bed around 930-10, during the school year. So I have dubbed the hours of 10pm-12am, “communication time” on those three days. This is the time I answer non business related or non time sensitive e-mails, social e-mails, etc. (For example, this week I have been working on planning a 25th anniversary reception with my college graduating class as I was class president, so the alumni association gets after me to do this.) During this 10-12 time I plan to blog, and foray into the other roads of social networking to see where it takes me. To ease the pain and not overwork my already tired desk chair, I take my computer to the living room and turn on the news, or a program I have recorded. So it is a low key time, but may gradually get the social networking covered. I figure if I make it happen two out of those three nights it has been a productive week - at least it’s a start.

I publish a RSS feed into my Facebook profile to keep these same people posted with what I am upto. Some care, others don’t.

But I do not actively use Facebook to generate business leads or to try and solicate work.

I was blown away by Twitter and could not imagine how it was useful. Still not sure.

I do like FridayTrafficReport that Jack Humphreys got rolling at ning. It gives me a way to pull them all together in just about 30 minutes a week.

I think its simple, if your market base is on those sites- you would be happy to spend the time ‘networking’, if not, then its just a useless chore.

Write a book for young writers and/or college-age entrepreneurs, and it would make sense.

Write an information product on B2B selling, then blogs and white papers make sense.

Personally I do have a Facebook account. I made it in college and I use it now because of my industry (real estate). I need to keep in touch with old friends and even if it doesn’t make me any money- I still enjoy it.

My Complaint is : there is so much TALK about the “downturn” in the Economy, which we usa citizens, “BLEAT” loud & long about daily, (we’re abunch of bleeding haemophiliacs)

Take a “LOOK” @ Bob Bly’s layout ???
He econimises by placing his content to one side of the page……LEAVING 3/4 of the page wasting in cyberspace !!!

You don’t need to look too far,to see double standards these days,even the supposed “know.alls” DONT know it all !!!

My Complaint is : there is so much TALK about the “downturn” in the Economy, which we usa citizens, “BLEAT” loud & long about daily, (we’re abunch of bleeding haemophiliacs)

Take “LOOK” @ Bob Bly’s layout ???
He ecomises by placing his content to one side of the page……LEAVING 3/4 of the page wasting
in cyberspace !!!

You don’t need to look too far,to see double standards.