Having a website is not enough. Having social media only is not enough. To make a great impact for your business online, you need to be using both to drive traffic, increase your business visibility and generate leads. Here’s a few thoughts to help you do this.
Hub and Spoke Strategy
In my Halifax social media program I have been introducing my participants to the “Hub and Spoke” strategy. The above graphic illustrates what I am referring to. Please keep in mind that there are more social networks than can be illustrated in the above example.This “Hub and Spoke” strategy can be very effective in increasing your business visibility on social networks and in Google Search.
This strategy looks very simple and works very simple. But it is the simple things executed over time that can make the greatest difference. There are strategies that are much more complicated to use out there, but in the realm of small business, strategies need to be simple. Business needs a simple strategy that they can execute.
Now I must say that this is just a starting point. Different businesses will vary in their strategy and approach. For example, some businesses may use different social networks than other businesses. But in the end, in my opinion, a business needs a website that is mobile friendly and social networks for driving traffic and generating leads.
These days, a website is not enough to get the job done. Websites alone can be very hard to generate traffic at times. Websites are a great place for customer conversions. There’s more room for great content and calls to action on a website. But at the end of the day, they need help.
Social media networks are not enough, by themselves. They are great for generating leads, conversations and driving traffic. But at the end of the day, they should direct customers to a website that is “Mobile Friendly”.
In the above graphic, notice that there are arrows from social network to social network. There is great strategic value in sending customers to other social networks. For example, a customer might find you on Twitter and continue onto your Facebook Page for more content and conversation. There is also great value in sending customers to social media from your website as well. When these strategies are used properly, they can create great opportunities.
There is more I could say about this “Hub and Spoke” strategy, but for now, I want you to think about how you could use it. Please keep in mind that a business strategy must be customized for each particular business. Also keep in mind that there will be adjustments all along the way as you figure out what works; and what does not. It is important to understand that social media marketing is an ever-changing process. Change is good.
If you have any questions, please ask me on Twitter – @4JeffBrown
