If you set up a cafe in the woods…

by Julie on November 18, 2009

…will anyone come drink your coffee?

alone

I met with a client this morning who is really on the ball. She’s set up her Facebook page, Twitter account and LinkedIn profile. Her blog is ready to go. Her site looks good. She’s also created a presence on a niched social networking site appropriate for her industry.

And she’s wondering why she only has 10 followers on Twitter, 40 fans on Facebook, and no hits to the blog.

And I totally get it. In her mind, in many people’s (that are new to social media) minds, the focus is on setting everything up. This makes sense because there is so much to set up, so many profiles to write, so many skills to learn. But, you simply can’t forget the other piece.

Coffee, coffee everywhere, and not a drop to drink

Let’s say you set up a cafe in the woods, fill it up with beautiful coffee cups, fantastic coffee, comfy chairs, free wifi and homemade muffins – and then you sit down in one of those chairs all cozy with your coffee and wait. If you don’t go into town and tell people about the cafe – and then encourage them (by giving them a great experience) to tell their friends, then no one will ever come. How can they? They have no idea that you exist.

You have to interact. This is not a ‘build it and they will come’ scenario that we have on the internet. It’s really more of a ‘build it and then go get ‘em’ situation. You capiche?

Image credit: jb-london

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Shauna November 19, 2009 at 6:49 pm

I capiche.

2 Gina December 12, 2009 at 8:57 am

I’m the exact opposite. I started the blog, I grew a following. Now, I’m suddenly supposed to have a presence in these other arenas and can’t find the time to get things “set up.” I just discovered your blog and hope you’ll answer some questions I have about why I need to be other places, where I should be, and how to do it.

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