What do I need to consider before using social media?
The world of social media can be a great way to talk with your audience and peers. Here are some things to consider before you dive in.
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The world of social media can be a great way to talk with your audience and peers. Here are some things to consider before you dive in.
By Chris Elvery of Call2Action. Based on an article from eConsultancy.
Many think that these two goliaths are the be-all and end-all of social media. Let’s face it, they are huge — if Facebook was a country, its population would exceed that of India. However, people interact across a whole spectrum of social media sites, so it’s important to recognise them and find the appropriate channel to engage with.
You may love the latest and greatest social media website, but is this where your customers and potential customers hang out? It’s important to research your market and your customers and then engage with them on their patch, rather than trying to get them to engage through sites they’re uncomfortable with.
Engaging in social media is free to set up, but there are other, quicker ways of generating business. Social media is still difficult to quantify in terms of return on investment, so it may be better to start with simpler engagement mechanisms such as a decent website or e-newsletter. It’s also important that the business understands the concepts of marketing and how to engage in a manner that doesn’t alienate the intended audience.
Social media is free to set up. However, you need to factor in the time spent posting, responding and commenting. I have some clients who spend over two hours a day updating their various channels — now that’s not free! Companies who don’t assign cost to this channel tend to slow down or halt activity altogether as the reality hits home — setting up a channel, gaining a following and then not continuing to engage is worse than not doing anything at all.
The hype certainly suggests great things, and I’m certainly starting to see some businesses achieve real benefit. However, it’s not a get-rich-quick solution and takes time and effort to achieve the desired results. It has to be viewed as part of your overall game plan — not an end in its own right.