This is one of the most common questions businesses have with regard to social media. I’ll let marketing guru Seth Godin answer this one:
So, once again it seems that “real world” principles play out the same way online. The kid who joins every single club on campus might have hundreds of “friends,” but has no time for meaningful interaction with any of them. They might recognize his name and face, but would they go out of their way to do him a favor? Not necessarily.
Just as you should in your offline relationships, focus on the quality, rather than quantity, of your online relationships. Learn about the people behind the Twitter handles, and you might just find some value there. Simply spew advertisements and links to the masses and you’ll find that it’s about as worthwhile as passing brochures out at the mall.
What’s your take? Have you found social media to be an effective component in your web presence management strategy, or just a waste of time and money? Where do find you get the best bang for your buck?