Unless you know what you want to achieve.

Let’s not get carried away here. Sure, it’s good talk. It’s by committing to communication, to engagement, to ‘the conversation’ that we are able to impart knowledge, to learn, to develop and build our know how and to grow our businesses. Social media, social search, the social web, is a truly amazing marketing opportunity.

Talk for talk sake? Why?

To simply regard business and especially online business as just a giant virtual water cooler around which to discuss the merits of flat back fours, share skateboarding cat videos or complain about vuvuzelas is surely missing the point. Beyond the superficial ‘join the conversation’ mantra  it’s vital to clearly identify why you are participating, to define your place in the e-scape and to identify a succession of measurable and achievable wins. Without a clear understanding of the bigger business picture your online presence will stumble and fall. What’s worse is that the chances are you won’t even recognise  your underachievement. You’ll be so entangled in the web, so wide eyed and strategyless that missed opportunity will slide silently  by.

It’s a results business

Talking a good game is all well and good but you and your company will be judged in results. It’s a results business. End of.

Individually we all know how easy it is to get distracted online, checking your email, going onto twitter, following a link here and a link there, watching a video. Before you know it you’ve spent half the day wading through the Bowie back catalogue or speaking to long lost school friends on Facebook.

On a company level without defined objectives and a disciplined approach to fulfilling them it’s so easy to take your eye off the ball, to get swept along with the sheer sociability of the social web.

Don’t be shy

Let’s be honest here. You have an agenda. You want to sell something, to promote something, to build exposure, to develop your brand. Don’t be shy. Do it! Use social media, blog, engage, content share, converse.  But ONLY if it aligns with your online marketing strategy and your objectives.

Admit this (even if it’s only to yourself). Social media is rubbish… unless you know what you want to achieve. The conversation is not the destination. It’s the journey. Keep your eye fixed firmly on the prize.