The Tool is as Effective as the User

Social networking tools have been praised across marketing for their effectiveness. And so, I have seen a lot of companies on Twitter, Facebook, and many others. Some are effective while others fail miserably. The cause? Well, social networking tools are only as effective as how you use them.

This is not a new realization or anything, but it just stood out in my mind as I read my brother's status update:

SCCA Club Trial Results: 1:10.469; Oleg: 1:12.901. That's 1 second slower than an STI. Not bad for bone stock Rabbit!

In racing terms, this is analogous to saying the car is only as fast as the driver. On paper, an STi is leagues ahead of a Volkswagen Rabbit or Jetta. On the track, though, it is only a second faster (other STi's and Porche's have proven even slower).

What this goes to say is that tools are only as effective as the people using them. By themselves, they are useless. So, if you are thinking about social networking tools for your business, you should spend the time to learn how to use them appropriately. Otherwise, you may fail and become ridiculed by others, like that STi that crashed on a tire chicony because a little Jetta was following it too closely.