Hold Your Horses

The Internet gets overwhelming at times, especially when you start talking about social media. Marketing meetings are drenched with discussions about Facebook and Twitter, and "what ever happened to MySpace?," and "should we create a YouTube channel?" The coolest guy at the table is the one who can name the site that no one else has heard about yet.

But don't get too far ahead of yourself. Understand what you're working with, how you can use it to your advantage, and whether there's a better tool out there for your business. Social media sites only work if enough people are using them, so the newest aren't necessarily the best until they gain enough momentum.

For example, lots of people are starting to talk about Me2Everyone.com -

It's "going to be a cool new virtual world where you can meet friends, chat, shop, play, watch videos, [...] and make money from your own online store," according to a recent LinkedIn discussion. The site also offers "100 free shares, with no liabilities," just for creating an account.

In my opinion, its a scheme to collect as many email addresses as possible and sell them to spammers - the opposite of Seth Godin's "permission marketing" techniques. But even if it becomes a legitimate social media network, you won't be any worse off by joining later in the game.

Let the sites work themselves out - then let the marketing gurus figure out the advantages and disadvantages before you dive in.

The harm in jumping the gun? You might put a target on your back for potential spammers, or you might waste lots of time and stress on "the next big thing," only to find out it's the next big scam.

Sean Lukasik is a Creative Agent / Marketing Professional in the Elmira-Corning region of Upstate New York. He is President of Twin Tiers Young Professionals and a consultant for Pipeline 4 Progress. Visit his website at www.SeanLukasik.com.