Unless your company is a big brand, it’s unlikely your customers are scattered across multiple social media channels.

Why not simplify your life and improve your marketing efforts by choosing just one?

Consolidate Your Resources

As social media continues to evolve, it is increasingly important to evaluate the respective channels and the allocation of your resources to them. Obviously, your commitment to a social media channel will determine your success with it.

Copyblogger Media recently declared they were killing their Facebook business page, despite the fact that it had earned nearly 40,000 likes. The commentary that ensued mostly suggested they should dedicate more resources to succeeding with Facebook.

Strategy determines the allocation of resources. Tweet this

To make the most of your limited resources, find the one channel that is densely populated with your ideal customers and inhabit it like no other. This may or may not require you to abandon other channels.

Become a Trusted Neighbor

The purpose of media for marketing is to make an impact. That has always been challenging, but even more so in our media saturated world.

Local businesses succeed largely because of their location within a particular community. This gives them a huge advantage over businesses seeking to crossover from neighboring communities. Apply this same idea to your social media.

Build your house and live in that community where your customers are and you will become a trusted friend, as opposed to a casual visitor.

When you make a commitment to a community and add value you increase your influence and build authority.

Find Your Focus

In a recent podcast interview Google+ expert Martin Shervington shared how he built an enviable social media platform exclusively using Google+. Martin inhabits Google+ in part by managing the Plus Your Business community that he founded.

Not surprisingly, once our interview was published it earned hundreds of shares on Google+, as compared to dozens on the other social media channels. How do you inhabit a space? For one, Martin announces his arrival and departure for his community almost daily. It’s as simple as making your intentions known and living up to them.

Martin shared this quote during the ‘Lighting Round” of questions that closes out all of our podcast interviews: “A man chasing two rabbits catches neither.” Apply that logic to chasing 3, 4, or even more social media channels and you will grasp the lesson.

It’s time to choose, don’t you think?

Focus is always a smart strategy.

About the Author: Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.

He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+