For years now, social media has been a great way to get your audiences attention, input and interests. But for some reason, companies still seem to object to leveraging it. Personally, I think it’s the same reason business owners took so long to get a website – they just don’t know enough about it to warrant the expense or shift in what they’ve always done.
Let’s be honest, it’s 2014. If you’re still advertising in the phone book, relying solely on networking events and RFPs to build your business, and building a website simply for the sake of having a website, you’re working a lot harder than you need to. It’s time for a long overdue shift in your marketing, and the elimination of some of these common excuses.
“I’m the boss. I don’t need to know about social media.”
Who better to be active online than the one person that knows more about your business than anyone? Even if it’s one tactic (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), you’re creating content and beginning to draw a following. You’re also giving your employees something to share out, and you’re establishing yourself as an expert.
“Let’s just hire a college kid.”
Your company’s reputation is more important than that. If they don’t understand the goals and the strategy, you’re wasting both money and time. Instead, work with someone that knows your industry, and knows how to use social media from a business perspective.
“We’ll never sell anything.”
The same can be said for print ads, business cards or B2B websites. Social media validates your company and makes your target audience confident in your brand so, when it’s time for them to buy, yours is the company on their minds. Remember, it’s part of the whole marketing plan.
“I have nothing to talk about.”
We all have something. If your company is of no interest to anyone, you seriously have some introspective evaluation before you. I doubt that’s the case, so give it some thought. Does your company contribute to a cause? Do you have a unique approach to serving your clients?
Beyond your own content, you can also share articles you find online that you think others will benefit from. Don’t feel you have to write it all yourself. What’s important is that you’re providing value to your audience.
“We don’t have the time.”
No one has time to do something they don’t see value in. Once you’re started on a sound strategy, and begin to cultivate a following, you’ll magically have time for it.
There are also a slew of tools, like Buffer, Everypost and HootSuite, that will allow you to schedule your posts throughout the week. With these services, you can set up a batch of posts at one time for release throughout the week.
“I have no followers.”
No one does at the beginning. However, I can guarantee that there are people out there that would follow you if you’re active. Fix that by using Klout and PeerIndex to find quick content to share, which will seed your accounts.
[separator][/separator]For those that still think social media is black magic, it’s actually a lot simpler than you think – and too simple to ignore. Below is a primer to get you started…
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