Nothing could be more topical for professional services marketers than social networking. We’re all atwitter about the possibilities. After all, the delivery of professional services is built on relationships and that’s the promise of Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.  While the jury is out on the effectiveness of these tools, particularly the ROI, none of us is willing simply to sit on the beach while the Next Big Wave washes over us. So, let’s jump and explain to your folks why you have carpal thumb syndrome.

Understand the basics

Businesses can no longer ignore the growing network of people communicating online and through blogging specifically. The number of blogs indexed by Technorati since 2002 is roughly 133 million, with over 346 million people globally reading these blogs. That’s a lot of people! The challenge is to create a blog where people will visit—and return.

Set your strategy and define your goals

The culture of blogging is all about being real—real people sharing real experiences and insights. Often, novice bloggers confuse their business blog with advertising or PR efforts. They try to use their blog as a forum for self-promotion instead of delivering value to their readers. Yes, blogging can align with marketing, but don’t let it be your main goal. Readers ignore blatant advertising tactics. If you try to scam them as Sony once did, you’ll get trashed online. The truth will come out. Therefore, it’s important to identify the goals of your blog from the beginning and layout a strategic plan.

Some common goals:

• Gain industry exposure
• Build brand awareness
• Connect with existing customers
• Deliver value through relevant content
• Be seen in the industry as a thought leader
• Build communities of supporters
• Drive traffic
• Increase new business.

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