Although its tempting to cast the widest net with social media, that may not always be the best practice for businesses looking to connect with their target audience. Gail Z. Martin of B2CMarketinginsider.com posts a few examples of "high-value" audiences that will help you in the right direction for your social media efforts.

• Present and past (inactive) clients plus screened high-potential prospects
• Your vendors and suppliers
• A small, highly-segmented niche audience
• Members of your industry/profession—especially if this is not a large group
• And extremely local or regional focus
  

But why focus on a smaller group when you have the opportunity to broadcast your business to the world using a plethora of social media outlets? Martin says that there are several reasons:

• You need to get frequent feedback and input
• No one else is providing content that meets a unique need within the group
• You want to create ongoing dialogue and education to help clients use a product better, get more out of their investment, extend the life of the product they purchased, or address bugs, little-known features or off-the-spec-sheet applications
• You want to add value post-purchase through education, discussion and the creation of a community
• You want to capitalize on the local/regional appeal of your product by emphasizing hometown news, personalities, events and special offers that are only of value to people within a very small geographic area

If you have utilized a smaller social media campaign, how effective has it been for you? Have you seen a difference in ROI between a larger and smaller campaign? We'd like to hear your thoughts.