Social Media Should Serve Your Website, Not the Other Way Around

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Social media is the latest craze in Internet marketing. It seems every company now has a Facebook Page and Twitter account. You’ve heard success stories about increased profits and brand awareness and you’re ready to go full throttle with social media. But before you shift into 5th gear let me share one important truth with you.

Websites are so last year

Social media is great but so is your website. In fact your website is far more valuable then all the social media tools combined. Why do I say that? Well the biggest reason is that you own your website. You do not own your Facebook Page. It’s the difference between owning and renting on the Internet.

I don’t think social media is going away nor do I think it’s a poor investment from a marketing standpoint. But I do see many eager companies getting lost in all the hype. Yes, there is lots of hype in the social media realm. Everyone wants a piece of the pie because they’re hoping to “go viral” tomorrow. But do you want to know something interesting?

What’s the ROI with social media?

There is no proven system in place to measure the ROI (Return On Investment) of social media. This doesn’t mean there is no ROI, I’m just pointing out the fact that nobody can really tell you how effective Facebook, Twitter or even blogs (which I’m a big fab of) are. Many speculate but nobody knows for sure.

Optimize your website first

So what’s the lesson? Get a Facebook Page, setup a Twitter account, start a blog but first optimize your website. Why? Think about it. Say you get some traction via social media and have thousands of followers who will visit your website. Are you ready for them? Or will it be like the surprise guests that stop by before you had a chance to clean your house?

All I’m saying is don’t invest in social media at the expense of your website. Website first. Social media second. Got it? Good.