From Thursday’s episode of the Office:

[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xde1y8_woof-the-new-social-networking-webs_shortfilms[/dailymotion]

Ryan’s “last word in social networking” isn’t real (thankfully), but unfortunately, it’s not too far from the truth. It begs the question, how much social media does one really need, and what purpose does it serve?

Many in the business world today, and certainly professional communicators (journalists, authors, marketers and advertisers), find themselves addicted to social media. As Kelly says in the video, “I can’t control what I say to people. I spend the whole day talking.” But to what purpose?

Do you ever get the feeling that some social media exist only to serve themselves? They’re like the teenager who needs a job to pay for gas so he can drive to work. Or the stay-at-home parent who goes back to work–so they can afford daycare. Are we “woofing” just for the sake of woofing, with no business purpose or tangible results?

That’s why when considering a strategy for promoting your business, it’s important to carefully decide in which kinds of media your company will invest. Consider your audience and identify what features of social media will most appeal to it. And remember, social media is only one component of your promotional strategy. Nothing compares with the depth of information available on a corporate website, in a white paper, a book, or an article in a trade publication. While social media is instant (and face it–fun), it’s not always substantial enough to provide the information a potential client needs to generate the sale.

Our advice–steer clear of the “dog pack”!