Misperceptions about social media marketing can leave some business owners feeling upset if they feel it didn’t deliver. However, if they abandon this robust marketing tool, they could miss out on a powerful method to engage with clients and generate leads. What are peoplereally thinking and how can you set realistic expectations?
“My audience is not on social media.”
One of the attendees at my social media for business workshop at the Jewish Community Center in Indianapolis said, “I’m here because my 91-year old grandmother is on Facebook, and I want to keep up with her.” WOW! Social media is clearly not just for the teenage crowd. The demographics of social media users span many gender, age, economic and education spectra. A Pew Research Center report shows that 32% of adults over age 65 are using social media. Similarly, 66% of households making more than $75,000 per year are using it. Your audience is out there.
“It’s Too Hard to Learn.”
The first time I read Guerrilla Marketing (by Jay Conrad Levinson), my first thought was, “This sounds hard.” Like many business owners I just wanted to put some ads in the paper and a commercial on television and wait for the profits to roll in. No effective marketing plan is devoid of thought and planning. Understanding social media for business is going to take some effort. You might need to read a book, talk to people or go to a workshop (look to the right for some SciSpeak greats). It will not be a herculean task and if 83% of people 18-29 years old can do it, I am sure you can too.
“It’s the Fast Path to Cash.”
Even a 1-minute Super Bowl ad (Go Colts!) is not a guaranteed fast path to cash and profits. You have to know your audience, know what they want and articulate their message. Print advertisers plan for their message to be seen 7 times before the audience remembers it! How many tweets and posts did you do on topics that did NOT mention your product or service? Social media is inbound marketing; the clients should want to come to you for information. Traditional marketing is outbound – blasting your message to them until they buy your product. Ugh! Have a marathon success plan, not a sprint, and you will build long lasting customers.
“It’s Free!”
Social media is NEVER free. You will invest time. You’ll invest money on good pictures. You will invest $20 / month with Constant Contact for a professional design of your eNewsletter. Typically you will not spend as much as a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, but you will spend something. Allocate for an investment of time and resources in your marketing plan. If your marketing shows that you are a small company, some clients will not want to work with you. Display marketing professionalism at all times. It may cost a little bit, but it will be worth it.
I originally shied away from social media because my former employees told me Twitter was “like totally cool.” Then some “social media ninjas” said it was free, easy and a fast path to cash. Like any relationship, social media marketing is an investment of time and treasure. Remember: “…whatever one sows, that shall he also reap.” (Genesis 6:7-8)
Scientifically Speaking, of course.
Next Week: What’s the Next Apple TV
