OMG! Who Has Time For Social Media?

By Sandra Collins

This blog is about social media.

 

As a small business owner, you may have heard a lot about social media and that you “have” to use it. I, myself, think it’s best to be clear about how it helps all concerned.

I have heard the title comment about social media more than once, particularly from small business owners. It’s not surprising, because it’s true that it can take up a lot of time. The key is to use it wisely and to keep your customers in mind.

To start, let’s clarify that social media is a channel to distribute information. It will not replace your other marketing and sales efforts; it’s another method to communicate. How it fits into your marketing activities depends upon your business.

Another thing to clarify is that social media directly generates only a small number of sales leads (if any). Often people want to know the ROI of the social media initiatives they put in place, but in reality it’s usually not easy to measure sales that resulted directly from social media because its influence is largely indirect. In essence, its purpose is to help prospects and customers to know you, like you, and trust you.

In addition, you should consider whether your prospects expect to find you on social media. If your target market expects to find you there and you’re not participating, it will pose a “lost opportunities” cost. Generally, the younger your target market, the higher the likelihood they expect to find you there. With young target markets, not having a social media presence is comparable to not having a website (or other venue to promote your core content); younger prospects expect to get to know you through authentic social interaction and if you’re not present, depending on your business, they’ll look for someone else.

So, the first step in evaluating your social media participation is to know what your prospects want and/or expect. Recent research cites 65% of adults now use social media, making it an effective channel with which to connect with prospects. On the other hand, I would then assume that means about a third of prospects don’t use social media.

Of course, if your prospects are asking frequently to connect with you in a certain way, you should be listening. Otherwise, the issue is more subtle and depends on a combination of your resources and your prospects’/customers’ needs. Certainly if you have the resources, it’s great to be found in all of the hot spots. However, if you’re a small business owner with limited resources and you’re considering a social media presence, it’s best to limit your choices so you’re not spreading yourself too thin. I’ll make the following generalizations:

  • The most popular social networks are currently Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. LinkedIn is generally business-oriented (B2B) and Facebook is generally consumer-oriented (B2C), but it depends on where your customers and prospects are hanging out. Twitter is popular in combination with either Facebook or LinkedIn.
  • Having a YouTube channel is very popular if you’re able to make videos.
  • Some people have found Google+ is worthwhile. (Here’s an article discussing/debating multiple aspects of the value of Google+: http://curiousdog.us/1Rq3c2S.)
  • In addition, posting on Instagram, Pinterest, or Snapchat are popular if you’re in a business that’s very visual.
  • If you’re in a business that gathers people together regularly, a Meetup group is worthwhile.
  • While not considered social networking, posting blogs on your website is a very effective way to help prospects and customers get to know you, like you, and trust you.

Also not a social network, remember that email is an effective way to communicate with customers and prospects, as well as to run campaigns. Email requires gathering and maintaining a list or database of folks who have opted in to hear from you.

It’s possible that there are other places prospects in your particular industry would expect to find you. There are a huge number of apps and websites out there that have diverse bases of followers and the number increases daily. So, when you’re starting out in social media, talk to your customers and find out where they would have welcomed your presence and start out in the location you hear about the most.

Read about Getting Started With Social Media.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *