Shawna Vercher, CEO of VTi-Web, discusses the importance of a well made webpage and what it takes to truly benefit from social media marketing.

I recently read an article entitled “Is Social Media a Fad?” or something similar.  The author seemed to feel as if the answer was up for debate, but that definitely his new website (insert his not-so-subtle self-promotion here) was part of the glue that might hold this delicate web marketing fabric together.

The effectiveness of self-promotion as part of an article syndication strategy is questionable, but this particular article appeared on a national online publication and probably received about a million views.  Out of those million views, I’m sure that more than a few did take the bait and click on this gentleman’s website.  And therein lies the problem. 

The website was broken.

Words appeared, graphics appeared, but not much else worked.  I tried to sign up for the free trial, but the form’s “Submit” button was broken.  I tried to learn more, but that button led nowhere.  I went to the page that was supposed to show me more about their services and it said, “Comming Soon.”  I wish I could say that typo was mine.

Social media is a fantastic way to promote a product, enhance your brand, manage customer service…the list goes on and on.  But it does not work in a vacuum.  It is a not a magic bullet.  What’s more, its audience (all of us) is a bit unforgiving.  Use social media wisely and you’ve got an effective and measurable marketing tool.  Use it poorly and you have collateral damage that can cripple web sales.

The social media phenomenon should not cause businesses to abandon the “tried and true”.  Not only does it take time to be effective, but there are other tools in the toolbox (so to speak) that may be better at actually closing a sale or retaining a client.  If you find that your organization is embracing these media in a race to keep up with the proverbial Jones’ then take the time to see what path you need to travel to reach the ultimate finish line – better profitability being a common goal for most businesses.  In other words, map out exactly how social media will ultimately lead to customer acquisition or customer retention.

Now here’s my not-so-subtle self-promotion: In order to truly capitalize on the benefits of social media, consider hiring a social media strategist.  Not a techie that serves as a walking instruction manual on how to set up a Facebook page, not a marketing firm that rushed to tack on these services, but someone that actually specializes in converting social media into dollars.  A good strategist will settle for nothing less.

Shawna Vercher is the CEO of VTi-Web, a national speaker and a social media strategist.  Look for other social media stumbling blocks in her book, Web 2.No, in bookstores this fall or learn more about her firm at www.vti-web.com.

Tags: internet marketing, Shawna Vercher, Social Media Marketing, VTi-Web, Web Design and Usability