Since the new year started, I’ve been reading articles and predictions on the top business trends for 2010. Invariably (and unsurprisingly), the use of social media for marketing, branding, and customer service has been at the top of every list.
In just a few years, social media has gone from a recreational diversion used by youngsters and bored office workers, to a proven tool for engaging customers and increasing brand awareness. Like all business functions, marketing and branding continues to evolve as new technologies emerge, and consumer attitudes and preferences change. Yet, small business owners and independent professionals are still lagging in their adoption and consistent use of social media (this is just my unscientific opinion, by the way).
When talking with other business owners and potential clients about using social media, I’m often met with a great deal of intimidation and resistance. So I thought I’d share and deflate some of the most common excuses I hear from small business owners who aren’t yet convinced of the benefit they can get from social media.
- Social media is a foreign world. Nothing works the way it does in real life.
Nothing could be further from the truth. One analogy I use often with social media neophytes is to compare social media to a huge networking event. The actions you take using social media are very similar to the actions that you’d take at an in-person networking event. You come in the door and seek out interesting, like-minded people to talk to. You start sharing some of your expertise and knowledge with them. Other people who are interested overhear you and join in on the conversation. You all decide to keep in touch with each other for the purpose of continuing the conversation. And, if all really goes well, you end up referring business to each other or partnering on future projects. The only thing that’s really different with social media is… the media. Instead of talking out of your mouth, you type with your fingers. Instead of an immediate face-to-face response from a contact, you may have a delay of a few minutes or hours. Instead of dressing up in business attire and fighting traffic to attend an event, you can engage others in your jammies from the comfort of your home office. Foreign never felt so good.
- Social media is a fad. In a couple of years, it won’t be here anymore.
Why learn something new? There will just be something new to learn again tomorrow. That’s what this excuse always sound like to me. Be honest. It sounds pretty silly, doesn’t it? Look, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t say how long social media will be here. But I do know that it is here now. And it is effective in today’s market. Business tools and methods are always changing and evolving. It’s just a fact. So, yeah. Maybe social media won’t be here in a few years. It may be replaced by something newer and sexier. But guess what? If you want your business to stay relevant, you’ll probably have to learn that newer, sexier thing too. Remember… the only thing constant in life – and in business – is change.
- My target customers don’t use social media.
Given the median demographics for Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In, and the fact that there are over 80 million users across these three biggest social media platforms, it’s pretty hard to believe that some segment of the target market for most businesses is not actively engaged in social media. But hey, anything’s possible. But consider this. Even if your specific niche isn’t on social media, what about their employees, their partners, their customers? Like in-person networking, you don’t always start out connecting directly with your end customer –often times you’ll meet someone who’s three or more degrees removed from that ‘sweet spot client’ of yours, and by creating a consistent, favorable impression, you can eventually gain access to the customer or decision-maker who will purchase from you. Use social media to target the ‘friends’ of your target clients and inevitably, you’ll reach your target clients too.
- Social media is too time consuming. I’m already so busy, I don’t need to add another thing to my to-do list.
Yes. Using social media takes time. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start by examining how much time you currently spend on your other marketing and branding activities. Figure out which ones aren’t yielding very good results for you and replace the time you’d normally spend on those with social media engagement efforts. For example, if you’d normally attend 3 networking events in a week where you’ll get a chance to talk to maybe 10-15 people only once, why not cut back to 2 networking events and devote the extra time to building a network of hundreds that you’ll regularly communicate with? In addition, there are all sorts of tools available that have been designed to make managing social media as efficient and non-time-consuming as possible.
- I have nothing interesting or important to say.
This one has to be my favorite. Mainly, because it’s the easiest excuse to overcome. If you had nothing important to say, you wouldn’t have a business. Your business itself is your statement to the world that says, “Hey, I have something of value to contribute to your problem, your need, or your want”. Your products and services are the way you communicate that statement to your clients. Social media is just another opportunity for you to communicate that message in words to people who may or may not already use your products and services. While you shouldn’t spend all your time on social media broadcasting how great you and your products are (it’d turn people off if that’s all you did), you should use social media to position yourself as a reliable source of information for that need, problem, or want that your customer has.
- I tried it, and it didn’t work. It’s a waste of time.
This can be a sensitive one. It’s tough for us to admit that we attempted something that didn’t work. It’s even tougher admitting that our own behaviors may have been the cause. In my experience, folks with this excuse fall into one of three categories. 1) They tried using social media and either quit too soon, or were inconsistent in using it. 2) They attempted to make social media fit into the paradigm of traditional media (i.e., broadcasting and advertising, instead of conversing and sharing). Or, 3) They set unrealistic goals and expectations or set no goals / expectations at all. Social media won’t work unless you work it. The right way. Make sure you have clear, realistic goals for what you’re trying to achieve. Make sure you invest enough time to actually see results – nothing happens overnight. And most importantly, make sure you seek out experts or social media role models, learn from your mistakes and their examples, and adapt your approaches based on what works best for you and your audience.
- My business is doing fine without social media. I don’t see why I should change anything.
It ain’t broke, why fix it… right? Wrong! I don’t know any company that can or would ever say, “Oh, we have so much exposure, we just don’t need any more, thank you”. Show me that company, and I’ll show you the company that will soon go the way of the dinosaur. Who hasn’t heard of Coca-Cola, or Microsoft, or Starbuck’s? But they’ve still got commercials, and they’re most definitely making use of social media to keep their brand visible. So, what was that you were saying about your little business not needing any more exposure?
- I’ve never really used the Internet for business.
A lot of business owners still have an inherent distrust of technology and especially of the Internet. They’ve internalized horror stories of people having their identities stolen or hackers getting their hands on sensitive information. Or they remember the early days of using the Internet when there wasn’t much other than porn to be found online. The truth is, in today’s technology-centric world, none of us are safe from one-off security-compromising incidents. And the porn? Well, it hasn’t gone anywhere, but there’s lots, lots more that the Internet has to offer these days. The good news is, if you’ve not yet tapped the power of the web for business, social media applications like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn might be a good way for you to start. They require much less time, effort, and money than creating and maintaining your own blog or website. In fact, all you have to do is set up a profile and start engaging with others. The first step, though, is getting over your fear, and getting on board. And the only person who can help you do that is you.
If you’re guilty of using any of these lame excuses, it’s ok. It’s not too late to change your mind or your habits. If you need some help making sense of social media, and a little nudge getting started using social media for your business, consider scheduling a 1-hour, one-on-one Content Marketing Session with me. I’m offering them for just $20 through January 31, 2010. You’ll get to ask any questions you might have, and get practical action steps that you can put to work the same day. Visit this link to get started: http://bit.ly/4XQ3oq
You might also want to check out my other 2010 specials:
- 3-Page Website, Custom Domain and Email for only $201
- Copy of 30 Steps to Build a Better Business for only $10
photo credit: Grace Falls
