My Space, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. It wasn't but a few minutes after each of these popular social networking sites were launched that business owners started thinking about ways to use them to market their products and services. Aside from a few, well publicized successes, most of the audiences I speak to report their encounters with social networking as falling somewhere between ineffective and obnoxious. They frequently lament that social networking requires too much effort for such a small return. The blame often get attributed to the overall concept of social networking, or on the tools themselves. Back in the days when I carried a tool-belt to work, I learned that the person who blamed their tools were probably using their wood chisel as a screwdriver.

Are your social networking tools getting the job done?

Like the carpenters I met in my former career, if find yourself using brute force to market your business with social networking, it could be one of three things. Your tools need sharpening, your using the wrong tool, or you're holding it wrong. Here are some tips you can use to increase the value of your social networking marketing (without breaking a sweat).

Sharpen Your Tools

It's popular right now to create a social networking warehouse on the home page of a website. Businesses invite visitors to become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn. It simply doesn't work. It's easy for the businesses to publish in this format, but impossible for the visitor to jump through all the hoops to complete the sign-ups. Sharpen your focus by providing invitations in context. If you want people to follow you on Twitter, tell them where you are going. Invite them to check out the coverage of your corporate, charity or community events. If you want visitors to become a Facebook fan, tell them what's special about your fan club. Invite them to request discounts, tell them how to get first crack at tickets or request a signed 8 x 10 glossy photo.

Choose the Right Tool

Since all the tools mentioned above fit into the social networking category, it's easy to simply reach into the the SN toolbox and grab the one on top. In a pinch you can use a pipe wrench as a hammer, but it requires a lot of effort and produces poor results. The first step to creating effective social networking marketing is to match the tool to the task at hand. Twitter works best when used to create mobile, mini press releases in the form of, "I'm here, this is what's going on, won't you join me?" Facebook is most effective when used to tell prospects and clients what happened, "It was a great event, check out the photos". Consider using Facebook to publish how your helped a client. LinkedIn is a powerful platform to connect with resources or become one yourself. Use it to invite collaboration.

Master the Tools You Already Have

I had the good fortune to work with Dean, a master carpenter for Marty Azola, one of the nation's leading historic restoration firms. While most of us spent our breaks talking about sports or our plans for the weekend, Dean sharpened his tools. Funny, but I never saw him break a sweat laying out a set of stairs or cutting a hinge mortise by hand. Invest time learning how to master the social networking tools you already use. They are constantly evolving so "read the manual" and leverage the value of your investment.

Is your Social Networking Working?

I invite you to use the comment form below to share your best practices or ask me a question. Join me next time to learn how to Use your Blog like Super Glue to connect current events with your future success.