My grandfather was a contractor and, like many, was fond of the "Measure twice, cut once" mantra. This week, I found myself thinking of that phrase following the arrival of one of my favorite publications. I was dismayed when the gaudy dust jacket informed me that it would be my last issue.
Perhaps the hardest thing about taking the plunge into social media is choosing the right avenues. There are hundreds of services out there, and it's hard to know where to start—especially since you don't want to invest time and resources in something that's ineffective. Thankfully, there is an easy way to test the waters, and it's called Twitter.
Recent happenings here have spurred me to consider the above question anew. Indeed, our firm was recently informed that a site we designed won an award from the Greater San Antonio Builders Association: the 2008 Summit Award for Best Website for a Builder.
Strictly speaking, this type of award is a low-risk proposition for Digett. We didn't have to make a formal submission—which means we didn't have to prepare entries, pay a hefty submission fee, and spend time and money attending a banquet just to see if we won. The award wasn't even given by our industry.
Many awards competitions, however, require that type of investment and offer no promise of return; you just can't guarantee a win will directly drive new clients to your door. Still, before you spend your money and time elsewhere, consider what these competitions may offer:
If I had a dollar for every time we were handcuffed from helping a client or potential client because we had no access to their domain, I'd be well on my way to a venti double cappuccino at Starbuck's.
