A regular request from people who I have been building websites for is to 'put a Twitter and a Facebook' link on their website.

[photo credit - webtreats on Flickr]

When I ask these clients for their Twitter and Facebook profiles, I find out that they either don't exist, or I get the request: 'please set one up for me'. Some clients do have a Facebook page or Twitter profile, but there is pretty much nothing going on there.

So what's my advice?  Don't do it. Just. Yet.

It is like inviting people to a party, but when they arrive there is no one there - just you - putting up a few balloons. Its a premature invitation.

Just having links which take your guests and prospects to no activity in another space, not only draws their attention away from your website, but it does not give a good impression (you only get one chance to make a good first impression).

So if this is your first website, get that finished properly first before you start thinking about other spaces. It is not difficult or expensive to add those social buttons later.

If you have an existing brand and website, by all means start to create and use your social profiles. THEN place the links on your website - once there is something to invite people to.

You also need to decide which social media presence you should devote time to. Go to where your prospects hang out. 

There is no point devoting time to a Facebook page if your prospects interact on LinkedIn.

If you don't intend to devote time to social media at this time, its fine - you can't do everything at once. Resist the pressure to put those icons up. Be honest with yourself and put it into your marketing plan for when you are realistically able to devote time to it. 

Put your energy into other things which don't require constant effort and interaction that social media does, such as ensuring you have your business listing up in directories and in particular your Google Places listing. This one action will make a huge difference in you being found by others who are searching for you. But more about that another time.

So 'fess up. Have you been seduced by the need to have those cute little icons? Tell us your story ...

Whether you are looking for relevant news to put up on your website, writing a blog, or looking at ways to establish that much needed earnt authority in your field to set you apart from your competitors, unique and expert content is the main way of achieving this.

It may give you a boost to remember that most people do not know what you do in your area of expertise - this is why you are doing what you do!  So your knowledge is very valuable to others (even if you feel it is ordinary).

If you are like the majority of business owners, when it actually comes down to creating content, you may simply freeze.

Start

Just start.  Don't wait till you 'know what you are doing, or can do it perfectly' (my favourite procrastination techniques).

While you may be in awe of brilliant content, you probably don't realise what it takes to get it to that state.  It would have been in concept stage, drafted, left to incubate, revisited, polished, 'feed-backed', revisited, edited, changed, trialled, and eventually published.  Other content may not have passed the test and been discarded.  So do not think that your first attempt has to be perfect, or that it will even make the grade.

Schedule content creation time

Make it a discipline.  Schedule writing/content creation time into your calendar, or set yourself a less formal deadline - 'by the end of the day I will have one article written'

Get inspired - 5 quick ideas

Is your ideas bank empty?

Here are some tips about how to get inspired and get creative.

1. Write down the top 10 questions you get asked.  Base 10 articles around those responses.
2. Get someone to interview you, and then publish the interview.
3. Make a habit of spending 10 minutes at the end of the day noting down challenges you have solved in your work.  When you get time, review these and work out if there is a useful article in any of them.
4. Interview a colleague and ask them what you have taught them.  Write about it.
5. When doing research and keeping up to date in your field, share valuable information.