Most companies are feeling the need to connect with their customers via social media more and more strongly.  They hear the hype (what other advertising medium are people so addicted to that up to 25% of us will now access it within seconds of an intimate moment with our partners?),  they read the statistics (Facebook stripping Google of it’s status as the most popular page on the internet), and they rush to put their brand into this potentially lucrative arena.

However, in their rush, few businesses take the time to plan out an efficient and workable long term strategy.  They neither assign man hours, nor create trackable goals.  Conversions go unmeasured and the whole thing tends to start off with a mad flurry of enthusiastic activity followed by long periods of silence.

This typical “firework” approach is unlikely to yield proper results, and when the rush of excitement from the pretty landing pages and burst of initial interaction fades companies and customers alike are left thinking “Now what?”

A far better approach is to think of your social media presence as a signal fire.   Something created with a sense of purpose, designed to burn steadily over time and clearly mark a path for your customers.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with a few fireworks now and then to create buzz and excitement, but without that signal fire burning away between shows your customers will likely just wander aimlessly to the next big show in town.