Does Social Media Marketing Really Work for Most Blogs?
When blogging became all the rage a few years ago, nobody gave much thought to traffic generation (except maybe the geeks who figured out long before most of us that there was money to be made from it).
Now that social media sites drive much of blog traffic, much of the content written is to feed the needs of these communities. I have to say, I write this post out of a bit of frustration because many of the social media sites don’t meet my needs. Why? Let me explain.
Do Freelance Writers Really Get Much Traffic from Social Media Sites
Most of my online writing has to do with the business of freelance writing – how to land gigs, market for them, price them, etc. There seems to be no hope of me ever landing significant traffic from any social media outlet. Many of the stories that get high traffic on social media sites are entertainment, tech and/or political news.
So, unless Britney Spears announces that she’s becoming a freelance writer for CNN covering politics and will use her iPhone to interview subjects, there’s no hope of one of my posts ever landing on the front page. Oh, that doesn’t stop me from submitting my stuff to a few social media sites, but I’m really starting to question the point of doing so.
Letting Go of the Herd Mentality of Social Media Sites
I post regularly to Digg, Propeller and Technorati. I do so intermittently to StumbleUpon and Del.icio.us. It takes me probably 15 to 20 minutes to post to all of them. But, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about junking them all together.
It can be scary to let go of the herd mentality. I mean EVERYONE says you must get involved in a social network; that they can be great ways to generate traffic. And, I have no doubt that they’re right.
But, it takes time to penetrate what they’re looking for; to actively engage with enough of the community to make a real impact; to come up with topic after topic that’s going to really fly with that community. And, make no mistake, you can’t do that with every social media community if you have one niche blog because each social media site is different and looks for different things.
As a busy freelance writer, I just don’t have the time to devote to this.
Facing the Reality of What Social Media Sites Can Do for You – and What They Can’t
I think one of the biggest marketing mistakes many freelancers make is sticking with something because everyone else is doing it. We never stop to question, “Is this working for me?” Sooner or later, we have to face the reality of what social media sites can – and cannot – do for us.
If you run a tech blog, social media marketing is probably some of the smartest marketing you can do. But, if your niche is freelance writing (like mine), then you probably want to look for other means of online marketing.
One thing I’ve noticed that’s worked great for me is commenting on other blogs in my niche. So, instead of spending the 15 or 20 minutes to post to social media sites, I’ll spend that time commenting on other popular blogs in my niche.
How to Develop a Marketing Plan that Works for Your Particular Blog
The fundamental core of any marketing effort is to make money. But, how do you do that? First, you build a loyal following. You do this by getting them to (i) know, (ii) like, and (iii) trust you. A blog is a great way to accomplish all three of these objectives. And, commenting on other blogs in your niche gets you directly in front of the audience you’re trying to reach.
In my case, I’ve found that social media sites bring readers via a circuitous route, instead of the direct route just mentioned. Yeah I admit it, I got sucked into the herd mentality and forgot my goal.
So, I guess the whole point of this post is to really make you question which marketing works for you. Don’t get sucked into a herd mentality. Take the time to develop a marketing plan that works for your niche. And if what’s “all the rage right now” doesn’t fit it, don’t be afraid to ignore it.
Just like skinny jeans – they may be all the rage, but it doesn’t mean that any of us who are over a size 2 have any business trying to squeeze our behinds into a pair.
Written by Yuwanda Black from Inkwell EditorialPosted on April 2nd, 2008 and filed under Promote your blog
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12 Responses to “Does Social Media Marketing Really Work for Most Blogs?”
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That’s a great question to ask, Yuwanda. I sometimes wonder about that myself. However, it’s true that I have had lasting readers from SU and BloggingZoom and some people have found my stuff via Twitter. However, the social part of social media is useful for keeping you in touch with current interests in the blogosphere, and it’s also a great way to get help with problems.
Thanks for stopping by Sharon. Good to hear from you.
You’re right about social media being a great way to keep you in touch with current interests in the blogosphere, and to get help with problems. However, I was looking at what it does for freelance writers as a pure marketing tool.
I read several blogs regularly (yours included) to keep me abreast of what others are doing in my niche. And, on those occasions where I need help with something, I will query those who I think can help directly.
But, as for simple marketing (ie, getting my name/blog out there), I haven’t found great success with social media marketing. I don’t know, maybe my writing doesn’t appeal to those types of sites, or I don’t have my hand on the pulse of what freelancers want to know about. Whatever it is, I just feel like it’s a waste of my time, which is very limited.
I’m lucky enough to be very busy as a freelance writer, so have to choose my marketing efforts with laser precision. That means choosing those that work. I feel like I’ve given social media marketing a fair try — and now it’s time to turn my efforts in other directions.
Glad to hear it works for you. I can see why; your blog/websites are fabulous!
Thanks again for stopping by.
Yuwanda
Great insight! I’ve wondered about this as well. I’m not really a techie nor a social media guru. Though I love the companionship and community feeling, as well as the instant gratification of some of these social media sites. And I do love new and interesting gadgets. But does that translate to useful marketing? Probably not …
I agree, social media is time consuming and after it is all said and done, sometime a pat on the back vs. a client that converts and picks up the phone or sends an email is really what you are after.
The distinction is, traffic can garner authority for your site, which is great because with that authority you can rank for your choice terms. But essentially, you have to see social media for what it is (great for sharing trivia, but it is not meant as a marketing tool) at least not yet.
Hmmm, Jeffrey, never quite stopped to think about social media sites NOT being meant as marketing tools. Perhaps that’s the foundational mistake I made right there. Although, it does work well for some in terms of marketing. FYI, I think I’ve queried your company a couple of times for some SEO writing work. I’m open for projects if you all have the need.
Chris, you’re right in that instant gratification can be just enough to soothe the soul sometimes. But as I freelance FT, I’m always looking for the payoff in the marketing department. Time is money for me.
Thanks gentlemen for lending your insight.
Yuwanda
Sure Thing Yuwanda:
We will be up and running with a new content development project in a few weeks. I will breeze back through around that time to provide some work.
Thanks…
Thanks Jeffrey. I look forward to the possibility of working with your firm. FYI, I distinctly remember visiting your company’s site for two reasons: (i) the design. I love the layout, structure and SEO info there; and (ii) your dreadlocks. I’m a huge fan of dreads.
My nephew had them when he was little and everybody used to mistake him for a girl. At 4 yrs old he would pipe up and say, “I’m not a girl!” Every time I see dreads they remind me of this cute time in his life. I’ve been a lover of the style ever since.
Yuwanda
Working on Social media sites is really time consuming and we have to contribute a lot there to get some profit for our blog/site. I regularly work on social media sites like Digg, propeller, stumbleupon and del.icio.us
You’re right Alex. There goes that time element again. I just never seem to have enough of that little sucker!
Thanks for the read.
Yuwanda
I agree that social media traffic is a bit over-rated. It seems to be a rush of visitors that gobbles up all your bandwidth, then nothing! I think traffic from searches is much better.
Also, I have found that the types of article or blog posts that are most popular on these sites are just not my style. There seem to be a lot of “top ten” lists for example. I’m not much into writing those!
I would say that the targeting power of social media is hard to beat with other channels.
With social media its possible to present your company, product or service to exactly the right audience. Especially if you are a company or organization looking to reach a pretty small audience.
A Social Media Agency can help clients plan their campaigns well and target a few sites instead of trying to be visible in every site that looks like a social one.