I run into a lot of people that want social media marketing. Of course, I enjoy this space but I am very honest with people – social media is not a short cut.

Let me explain. All too often, people want to do social media because they think it is easier, cheaper and faster than going out and manually building up relationships with their target market. They think that they do not have to do other forms of marketing and outreach because social media will cut right to the results.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Social media will help you be more successful and faster, as part of a much broader marketing effort. You have to know who your target market is and you need to not only approach them via social media, but also in the traditional ways. Things like cold calling and networking may not be your favorite thing, but talking to someone on the phone or in person is still powerful. Connecting to someone on facebook is not a substitute. It is just an additional way to leverage the relationship building.