What the Social Media Guru’s Didn’t Tell You
Most people I meet understand social media can be a powerful business strategy that can help grow a business exponentially. They understand it can help them reach new audiences and acquire new customers. Here are three things every entrepreneur must know before getting involved in social media.
Ongoing social media marketing is not for everyone
Spreading the word about your business through blogs and social networks enables you to reach new audiences, as well as consolidate your existing relationships. What’s more, if your brand name consistently generates buzz on social networks, your search engine ranking is likely to improve as well. Having said that, social media is not for everyone. It depends on what your product or service is and the reasons why people buy. For example if you are a funeral home, I’m pretty sure you are not going to have a massive following on Twitter wanting to hear about the latest deaths in the area.
Social media marketing is not free
Unlike contextual advertising or paid listings, social media marketing doesn’t cost money. You can create blogs and social network business pages for free. That said, social media marketing campaigns need to be maintained to be effective, and that maintenance requires time. As an entrepreneur, time is probably more scarce than money. You could consider using professional social media marketing services to save time and invest your time in other key areas of your business.
Your competitors will follow you
Social media can help you reach potential customers fast. The problem is many of your new found followers are not prospects at all, they are competitors. Competitors keeping a close eye on you with the hope that they can rip off your next killer strategy. All these marketing methods are quick and can be highly effective, just don’t be deceived by the large number of followers you have. The proof is in the pudding. How many customers have you gained through social media?
Social media marketing, can be extremely important for some businesses. In particular businesses that provide a product or service which is an area of passion for people. For example, I recently heard of a boutique coffee shop in Melbourne launch a Facebook Fan-page and within a few days have a huge list of followers without ANY effort promoting the page. That’s passion for you and that’s exactly what you need if you want your social media to be a success.
What are your thoughts on social media marketing? Has it been successful for you?
