...the wharf is your business where you process your catch. The pier is your website; the doorstep to your business. And the sea is full of potential customers just waiting to be lured into your enterprise.

The trouble is, most businesses are stuck on the shore, while their prospects swim in an ocean of opportunity to buy from the competition. Advertising is still a powerful way to sell to the masses, but it’s expensive. So why not go trolling after your customers with the use of social media? Think of advertising as a gigantic net, and social media as delightful chum (Ever see Jaws?)

If the wharf is your business, and the pier is your website, then the fishing trawler is your blog. Think about it. You don’t want to catch every fish in the ocean. You want to hook the ones that make the best customers, and are after your bait. Your blog trolls the ocean gunnel-to-gunnel with millions of other virtual trawlers. But that’s okay, because your boat has a niched perspective, distinctive voice, and lures unique to your business. Plus, you know which fishing grounds produce your best catches, so that’s where you troll.

The fishing poles you cast from your blog represent the various social media channels available to you. These are lines of communication that let you converse with your prospects and entice them on board your product or offering.