Ring! Ring! Goes The Social Media Tool Most Overlooked

I like John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing, and now he reminds us that the telephone is a social media tool as well.

Talking about the forgotten telephone might just be getting back to basics.  I am not so sure about all of the requests I get from all of the social networking sites, or how effective they are or might be in getting business.  I am sure people can show me examples how this might be true, but most of the requests I get are from people that I like and respect in the blogosphere, but really do not do much for me in achieving my objectives in business.

It is interesting that I use the phone less and less to communicate with clients and opposing counsel.  I almost never send a fax, and I am receiving fewer faxes.  But, I still use the phone constantly to call and chat with my referral sources and to keep up with goings on in this world in which I work.

I just tend to think that the Third Wave is important, but you cannot lose sight of what still works and works well.

As Jantsch states:

It seems like small business owners get so caught up in the terminology of social media that they forget the objectives involved in employing any marketing tool or tactic.

Mind you, it’s not their fault, the media is always quick to promote the next new, new thing - I mean blogs are so social media 1.0.

If you develop objectives, you know - “what do we want to achieve by talking to and inviting our customers and prospects to help us develop, refine and evangelize our products and services?” - you might discover that just about any tool could help you achieve those objectives. (OK, for plumbing, a wrench works better than a hammer, but don’t get so hung up on the tools that you forget to develop the strategies first!)

I mean, doesn’t a telephone allow you to achieve a great deal of the promise of social media - content, contact, interaction, community.

Comments

[Susan Cartier Liebel]

Chuck, This is a great post. It is a social media tool which is used incorrectly. The connectivity through social media should result in use of the phone which should lead to in person connections and clients.

There was a time (before paypal) when my mother used to say, "until you see a fist full of dollars come through the phone it isn't a sale."

Well, until you see a fistful of dollars get redirected to your paypal account...it isn't going to help you to use these networking tools if you don't know how to use them properly.

[Stephanie Kimbro]

Yes, but can you use the delete key on the telephone? I think there is a larger degree of comfort through online social tools, especially for attorneys who have grown up attached to a computer.

Also, I have to wonder if online social media doesn't give us the ability to put the quality of our content ahead of other factors, like our age, our sex, our accents, etc. all of which are exposed through the telephone. Just a thought. I'm in agreement with you though, if it brings in the right kind of business, it shouldn't be ignored as a business tool.