Yes indeed, rather obvious isn't it. Yet when I look at development of technology, of tools, services, trends, as opposed to mindset, culture and strategy I sometimes wonder if the wheel, as a concept or idea, has been forgotten.

The wheel is about a lot more than a means of propulsion, mobility, of transportation. It can also serve as a good model for building business, structures, organizations and as much, your web/internet strategy. 

Web centricity & Social media

It's not the first time I've written about these things, but here I am again. Reason possibly related to a former post about Tools for a smart Digital Presence, and Social Business. Am sure that if I drilled deeper into my own archive I'd find ever more posts pointing in the same direction. But as a good thing cannot be said enough times, etc etc...

I think another reason for this post is something I heard the other day, "oh we don't need to invest in a web solution because we're on Facebook and twitter". Wrong answer! Yes, social media are powerful tools that can provide you with lots of possibilities. They even can pretend to provide you with "everything you need".

Bear in mind though, that you are a contributor, confined as well as subject to their domain, their standards and approaches. Their changes, and priorities. 

Your contributions help social media grow their diversity. In return you harvest benefits, potential for a growing social network, sets of tools and a large community. But do you necessarily get back the equal sum of what you invested, or better? 

Social media channel do not diminish the need for, or use of, a web/communication strategy. They do not replace or remove the need for hub or center, from which you communicate to or with your audience, publish, present and develop relations.

Social Media are like spokes in a (web) wheel, and your web presence is, or rather should be, the center point, the hub. You make use of these spokes to channel activity of all sorts, but the spokes should always point to a center. Which over time might give you better bang for your bucks, and not the least, a focal point which you control, you grow and ultimately, decide how should look, feel and operate.

A wheel is still a wheel. However vast and infinite it seems, astrophysics tells us that once upon a time, the universe began.. somewhere. Going even further, if you believe in a Multiverse well... all these parallel dimensions, or planes of existence, quite likely all have one thing in common. They originated from .. somewhere, a center.  

Define a web-centric strategy

Yes, your web-centric strategy. The basis on which your platform may expand. Build, refine or rejuvenate your web presence to support centric strategy. it doesn't have to be academic or insanely elaborate. Think centric. Balance use of selected social media, define a pace, and be faithful to how you proceed.

The social media tools and services you use as spokes in your web-wheel.

Most open source Content Management solutions available today come with a vast number of plugins, modules and customization options. When you publish something on your page/site, an article, news, a product, a comment or whatever, you then propagate the information to your social media profile. 

Publish once, distribute "everywhere". By applying this methodology you also foster consistency for, as all activities have a point of origin, you can decide to what extent you want to, or not, diversify communication. Whether we talk shape, form or content.

Is it a DIY job?

It can be, but as one might appreciate, unless it's your line of business you might be better off, in the long run, to ask for and/or acquire assistance. And focus on whatever else you consider important, your fortè. I've done and seen enough projects to think that many might have gotten further had they decided to call in assistance. It can be tempting to choose to be one's own master, but don't rule out the possibility that, even if you know yourself best, there is something you might have overlooked. Second opinions can be immensely valuable!

One thing is to have tools at your disposal, quite another is the use the sum of all these optimally. And that's it for now, till next time... cheers :)