GOSO

By: Chris Garrett Co-Author of Best Seller of ProBlogger, our celebrity blogger, Chris has helped thousands of individuals, non-profits, small businesses and blue chips make the most of the web.

You know the phrase “What you measure you get more of”?

What if what you are measuring … is wrong?

Do you want more “wrong” in your business?

I was talking to someone on the phone just now and he asked me what I was working on. One of the things I mentioned was this blog. He thought it was cool that auto dealers were getting into social media and he immediately asked me who I knew with tons of followers.

Let me make it clear, he didn’t ask who the thought leaders were, or who the superstars were (if there are such things in this market), but went straight to the numbers.

The wrong numbers.

Fact is, it doesn’t matter if an auto dealer has a gajillionteen followers. You don’t want to be an Ashton Kutcher, Oprah, or the like. By measuring, focusing and chasing a follower count you would actually at best distract yourself from your real business, or at worst actually damage it.

Even in my consulting it is not big numbers that matter, even though there is a “social proof” benefit (“90 billion twitter friends can’t be wrong people!”) – it’s all about having the right people in your orbit.

If I want to sell more cars, I would rather have ten followers who are in the market for an Aston Martin, than a million who ride bikes, right?

So before you measure, make sure you are measuring the right things …