Social Media Cheat Sheet

Screen shot 2010-03-04 at 11.21.55 PM As I speak to conference audiences across the country about social media, one of the questions I always get asked is… how do I know which social media sites to use?

Of course… there is no single, magic or easy answer to that question.  It all depends on your goals, your overall marketing strategy, your resources and your industry.  It's not a cookie cutter sort of thing.

However…there's nothing wrong with a little cheat sheet to help you determine which sites are best for:

  • Customer communication
  • Brand exposure
  • Driving traffic to your site
  • SEO

Which is why the cheat sheet created by CMO.com is so handy.  It ranks the most popular/used social media sites (from the biggies like Facebook and Digg to the less talked about Reddit and del.icio.us) as good, okay or bad for the four goals above.

You can download a much bigger, easier to read PDF version of it by clicking here

Hat tip to my buddy Gavin Heaton, who wrote about this a couple weeks ago.

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28 comments on “Social Media Cheat Sheet

  1. Cyndi Papia says:

    Once again, thank you for the goodie. Have a great weekend!

  2. Ken Mueller says:

    Great stuff, but I have to disagree on Facebook not being good for SEO. Facebook pages are now being indexed by Google, and I know when someone does a search for certain terms, not only do they get my website above the fold, but they also get my Facebook page. That’s two properties (3 if you count my Twitter account) that often show up high, thereby bumping some of the competition down. In that way, it is GOOD for SEO as a distinct property…but only if you actively use the Facebook page and update it regularly. Plus my blog is posted on the Facebook page daily so it draws traffic to my site.

  3. Cyndi — glad to share!

    Ken — I wonder if they developed the chart before Facebook cut the deal with Google? I agree, it’s become a much more valuable SEO tool of late.

    Drew

  4. Mark Arnold says:

    This is an outstanding resource. Thanks so much for sharing. This is one of the best summaries I’ve seen.

  5. This is so awesome, I will be sharing this with my readers. Excellent rundown on the strengths of different media sites. Already downloaded mine. Thanks so much.

  6. Roxana says:

    Thanks for sharing that Drew, great resource to have!
    For further information on the topic check out this blog and the webcast on social media: http://contemporarypr.blogspot.com/

  7. Missy says:

    You do realize the “grandfather of traffic spikes” isn’t Digg, but Slashdot. “Slashdotting” was around as a popularized term for traffic spiking a half-decade before Digg even came along.

  8. Ryan Beale says:

    Thanks for sharing this Social Media Cheat Sheet, Drew. I found your site via Chris Brogan sharing this post on Google Buzz.

    While the Cheat sheet provides decent information for CMOs to learn about basic social media networks, I think a social media cheat sheet will only help CMOs if they first understand the importance of blogging and blogging for business.

    In my opinion, without a business blog, CMOs shouldn’t bother with Social Media Networks for Business. 🙂

  9. Great asset. Get that one and the combine it with these 3 models that will guide your brand in the social media landscape and you’re set to go: http://www.ronnestam.com/3-models-guide-your-brand-succesful-social-media-strategy/

  10. TSRH says:

    Conversely, if one was to look for the best possible experience with an online community of people, they could just follow your chart in reverse!

    Funny how that works…

  11. bob dobbs says:

    It might surprise y’all to know that all of these websites offer options where companies can PAY for advertising.

    Unless you have absolutely no advertising budget whatsoever, this sort of behavior is more than a bit sleazy.

  12. Rob Hanson says:

    Excellent resource! Cheers Drew – will be pointing people at this when I give a short talk to a Local Creative / Design Networking event later this week, saved me laying one out! :0)

  13. Judy — hello Montana! You stick to your guns. Selling is not a bad thing or a bad word. But you can do it with integrity and by adding value!

    Missy — I’ve never even heard of Slashdot. I’ll have to check it out. Sometimes being first “a la the grandfather” doesn’t mean you win the game. Seems like Digg is winning.

    Ryan — You will get no argument from me on that one. I think the business blog should be the crowned jewel in most businesses SM strategy. The power and reach is huge!

    Drew

  14. Johan — thanks for sharing the link!

    TSRH — I suppose it depends on what you’re looking for in terms of community, but interesting observation!

    Bob — Tell us why you think so.

    Drew

  15. @Drew

    No worries. THANK you for letting me share it!

    Rock on!

  16. LameHorseLeg says:

    And myspace is where? :-/

  17. I thought this was VERY helpful and aligns with the need to determine the correct tools for your strategy. I shared it with my readers, along with reminder of the POST method for assessing one’s needs and developing a strategy. Thank you for sharing this!

  18. HD-DSLR says:

    This pdf is great, thank you

  19. Hi Drew,

    I am a brazilian consultant and writer on social media and digital marketing.

    I would like to have you permission to translate the Social Media Cheat Sheet.

    Please write to my email.

    Thanks

    Claudio Torres
    http://www.claudiotorres.com.br

  20. Great sheet Drew. Love it! This is a good base point for everyone to use especially with where the world is going (social media). I think it’s ironic how so many think that if they just “do it” then it will work. Obviously that’s not true, but it having this and the know how will help people consult their clients on how to properly address the social media wave. Thanks for the help!

    Best, Matt
    http://www.lift22.com

  21. Awesome, that’s incredibly helpful! I’m thinking of having Kinkos print a nice, large copy of it to hang on the wall.

  22. Hannah Tighe says:

    Hey Drew,
    Thanks for the great resource! I am planning on giving this out to all my clients!

  23. Ari Herzog says:

    Do you mind converting this PDF into a Scribd or Slideshare format, for easier embedding in other places? Else I can do it. Thanks.

  24. Paul Hebert says:

    Drew – do you have one from a B2B perspective? Or do you see little variation?

  25. Paul,

    I don’t think there is much variation. But, I didn’t see that CMO.com had created a specific B2B version.

    If I find one, I’ll post it!

    Drew

  26. This is an useful guide explaining the strenght and weakness of each social network. Very nice job, Drew!

  27. Hi,
    Really awesome article.
    Thanks for sharing this Social Media Cheat Sheet, Drew.
    Thanks

  28. Nice,
    Very Informative article and your step by step guide so good. it is also helped me.
    Thanks

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