Do You Really NEED All the Tools in the Toolbox?

If you’ve jumped on the latest social media craze over at Pinterest, you’re not alone.

According to Entrepreneur…..

“The site (Pinterest) registered more than 7 million unique visitors in December, up from 1.6 million in September. And it’s driving more traffic to company websites and blogs than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined, according to a recent report from Cambridge, Mass.-based content-sharing site Shareaholic.”

Crazy, huh?

Facebook, LinkedIn, FourSquare, Twitter, YouTube, Branch Out, etc. etc. etc.. and now Pinterest.

which begs the question.. Do really NEED all these tools for your business?

In My Opinion, No..

Honestly? No. I’ll say it again. No. Do not allow yourself to fall into the shiny, bright object syndrome. Just because it’s out there, doesn’t mean it’s good for YOUR business.

If your goal, as a small business owner, is to use the internet as leverage so you have more time and freedom to enjoy life, then spending MORE time on MORE social networks is not going to help you achieve that goal.

Don’t Make this Mistake!

Pre-Facebook, the essentials of internet marketing were:

1. Build a content website for your audience that informs
2. Is optimized for search engines
3. Email your list for relationship-building
4. Convert visitors to customers

Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about the fundamentals just because we have social media.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t use social media at all? No, of course, not. Social media is a vital part of your internet marketing strategy. However…

The REAL Purpose of Social Media Tools

The purpose of social media is to network, build relationships and drive traffic back to YOUR site, which should be your company/brand homebase…period.

So, the question you need to ask yourself is which of the social networking tools will be best suited for that job based on your goals as a business owner.

It’s still too new to tell, but so far the articles I’m reading are that Pinterest can be useful for large business to consumer retailers, although it will be interesting to see ROI reports 3 and 6 months from now.

Am I on Pinterest? No, not yet and I’m not quite sure I will be…at least not for business purposes. I know me and from just looking over there, and stories from friends, it’s pretty addicting.

I’d much rather spend my personal time outside, but that’s just me.

Enjoy!