Over the past month, Google has been slathered with attention and media coverage because of its new social platform – Google Buzz.

Some people think the application’s incorporation of Google’s existing Gmail users will help it build a robust database of people who will incorporate Buzz into their daily routines. Critics say it is one more social network that will further fragment the Web’s landscape.

Regardless of which camp you’re in, it’s important to heed this advice: Listen before buzzing.

There are plenty other ways to say this – look before leaping, aim before shooting, haste makes waste, etc.  Fanaticism toward anything made by Google leads to a mentality that Buzz should be adopted immediately by organizations big and small. And that’s just not true.

When consulting with clients on social media campaigns, our team always advises that a marketing department should determine the end goal of its efforts. Do not select a platform because it is trendy. Select platforms that will achieve the objectives.

No sole offering will achieve every desired marketing result. Even though Facebook reaches a huge portion of the online population and Twitter can be a great way to spread quick, rapid-fire pieces of information, an underutilized tool like a wiki or forum may be better suited to build or reach a community. Buzz is no different.

Think about it. You wouldn’t invest 100 percent of your marketing dollars into e-blasts or direct mail pieces – efforts that work well as components of an overall campaign, but poorly on their own. Why would you dump everything into a social media platform, especially one that is so new and is still evolving?

Buzz may become an effective platform, but it should only be part of your social media arsenal.

For information on a Caliber Group Social Media Boot Camp for your company or organization, call (520) 795-4500 or e-mail socialmedia@calibergroup.com.

(Thanks to wolfraven for the photo.)

---

---