Small Business Owner’s Objections to Social Media Involvement

I’ve heard recently from a few business owners who have some objections to social media.

Does it really do any good to be on Facebook or Twitter all day? Does it pay off?

Well, businesses big and small are ALL doing it – they are all putting major time and effort into being visible online. For most businesses, the question of social media will be not “if” but “when”. Honestly, the world has changed, and the digital world has changed much, and is changing faster and faster everyday. Live commerce and e-commerce are changing just as fast. ROI, or “return on investment” might not be seen immediately or within a short period of time from delving into hours of tweeting, posting, and blogging. Social Media and all of the interwebs have changed so drastically for small businesses recently that most people I meet have their heads spinning . . . even in Silicon Valley. The long-time professionals with strong job skills can’t really keep up, and the newbie professionals without all the job skills have high presence online. The online playing field has practically been leveled among vendors and talent, and most times the end customer doesn’t know the difference between skilled and unskilled. Many event customers call me and express disappointment at other service providers that just didn’t cut the mustard on getting the job done – they paid little and expected more. The answer for small business? Keep up! The true goal of social media is to create a group of followers that are drawn to what you are offering and what you have to say. You grow and cultivate an audience of those with high interest in your goods and services – which challenging to create within any form of media.

I don’t see any movement or interaction on my Facebook page!

Facebook has changed, and is changing daily also. The Facebook of yesterday is not the Facebook of today. It is wise to stay close to the heart beat of how people are connecting and how leads convert to actual commerce though. The new Facebook rules will show you little to no interaction or reach on your page, and now might be the time to start up your paid advertising there. Krista Neher, social media expert and a top contributor on LinkedIn discussion forums, mentions how many of your target customers may or may not regularly be active on Facebook. Krista said, “since you need to essentially ‘pay to play’ on Facebook, many business owners need to step back and really find which site their target market is already on – then go meet them there instead”. Experimenting with different social sites instead of Facebook might be the 2014 way to go. Facebook is not the only social media out there to put your wares into the eyeballs of prospective customers.

What do I post anyway??

It is now recommended that about 20% of your posts that deal with your brand. These select posts will include persuasive calls-to-actions, by driving traffic to your website. When working on this content, also include information that benefits your audience. This material might include a special offer or discount, useful statistics, advertorials, etc. You’ll want to inspire your audience to learn more about your company, which might bring leads to conversion in the future. The majority of your social posts should be interesting and helpful content to your prospective customers. These informative posts could be articles, links, tweets, and other helpful material. These should be made “shareable”, so that others can move your name and brand on too. Minimum amount of posts? Blog entries should be made at least 1-2 times per week, experts say. Other Tweets, Facebook posts, and other entries should be kept to an appropriate level to not put readers off, but keep interest level high.

Won’t I need to give large loads of attention to these social media accounts down the road? I don’t have time for this!

It is true that social media is an insatiable beast – it always needs to be fed and maintained for its best use. As a business owners, we don’t always have time for everything – no matter what tasks they are. Delegation is one of your best tools, and oftentimes it’s the best solution for what pulls on your valuable time. It’s best done during a slow season when you can get oriented and plan creative approaches. And note that in your busy season when things are crazy, this is not the best time to attack social media campaigns. One must make good choices on how to attend to social media, and it will definitely pay off down the road when you give it sufficient attention.