Most businesses today recognize social media should be part of their overall web presence, but there’s always the question of how much time should be devoted to it. There’s no hard and fast rule to the amount of time you should spend on your social media platforms, however thinking through the ways you want to be using social media for your business might give you a better idea of time frames.
While Facebook is a powerful communication tool for personal and business use, it, along with other platforms, shouldn’t be used as your sole source of information.
Social media platforms can change anytime, take Myspace for example. From 2005 to 2008 Myspace was the most visited social networking site in the world, surpassing Google in June 2006 as the most visited website in the United States. By 2011, the company that once employed upwards of 1,600 people reduced its employee numbers down to 200 when U.S. pop star Justin Timberlake acquired the company for $35 million dollars. The once popular $800 million dollar revenue making platform is now trying to find its place in the overcrowded social media market. As of June this year the Myspace website was ranked at 303 by total web traffic.
The moral of the story above is,
“Don’t put all your social media eggs in one basket.”
If you invest all your time making sure your Facebook page has all the bells and whistles today, those shiny tools may not be relevant in six months time, should Facebook decide to change its rules.
Think about it this way, as a Facebook user you’re just one of 1.15 billion people following the rules of the Facebook kingdom. You don’t control the way Facebook displays its information; what information you’re allowed to display. Or in the case of Twitter, how many characters you’re allowed to use.
But you can have an online presence that you have complete control over — your own company website.
Your domain name and company site is your longevity on the web. By using your website as your online business information hub you can supply your social media channels with snippets of information that drive traffic to your website.
Time is a valuable commodity for business owners, if you have a document (perhaps a menu) you update regularly, keep that information stored on your website and add links to it from your social media platform. By doing this you’re not only saving time by not updating two platforms, but you know the information is always correct.
Reduce your time spent on social media updates, drive more traffic to your website and ensure your online longevity by making your website the star of your online presence.
