As many of you know, I am a huge fan of BusinessOnMain.com. The site has plenty of information to help us make more intelligent business decisions. I recently read an article from Polly Schneider Traylor called – Are You Wasting Your Time on Social Media? The post is a breakdown of why you should and shouldn’t use social media for business.
I like many of the points in the post… however… the ideas are not new.
So…
I wanted to hear from you! Why should small businesses use social media? Why shouldn’t they? Do you think it is a waste of time? What are some of the ideas you have for the use of social media for small business.
This is a contest.
Post your comment below and receive the most replies and “THUMBS UP” to win a $100 gift card to Best Buy! Invite your friends. Get involved in the conversation. I would love to hear your thoughts.
The contest ends at 5:00pm EST on Friday September 30th.
Megan k
Social media for small businesses is NOT a waste of time. What are young people doing now when they want to look up a company? Going to Facebook and Twitter to see their following. There is something about having a large following that makes that company seem more credible. I believe the type of company matters more than the company being big or small when dealing with Social media. Example: A company who printed paper I wouldn’t care what type of following they had, but an events company I absolutely would. Social media is a chance to relate to your customers, and promote yourself on a free forum with your followers waiting there to listen.
Sean McCormack
Why should small businesses use social media? Or is it a "Waste of Time" ?
My answer – Social Media is ABSOLUTELY the best thing going for my small business – affordable and I'm in control of the content !
My small start-up – Feet First Consulting.com is a small-town IT Consulting service… my family name is known in the community but many people don't realize what I offer… by using Social Media (specifically Facebook), I can easily build my personal network "friends" and then drive people to my business page… IT'S DONE WONDERS!
Here are the key reasons why;
"Branding" allows me to create a recognizable identity for my services. This is extremely important for a small business.
"Reputation management" is an easy way to keep an eye on what other people and sites are saying about my name, company, or brand online – and fix any problems, if need be.
It allows me to "Establish myself as an expert". By using forums and message boards to answer questions professionally, honestly, and correctly, which has allowed me to earn ou respect as an expert in my niche.
Maybe the most obvious and arguably the most rewarding… "Word of mouth – virtually" Customers need to trust before purchasing – people trust their friends and loved ones more than anyone else. So, if they hear from someone trustworthy about your product or service, chances are higher that they’ll contact you for help.
Finally, an accessible company means a more trustworthy company. Trust means return business. Social Media allows me to be more accessible… I have all my contact info (cell phone, address, email, etc.)… all current and easily accessible.
jackieulmer
I have used Social Media very effectively over the past 4-5 years and don't consider it a waste of time at all. And, I have learned to discipline myself to get the business building activities done and accomplished first! It's like the "EF Hutton" concept – speak and brand yourself so that people attract and follow you; find where your target audience is and BE there! Engage and develop true relationships.
What doesn't work in Social Media is blatant advertising; spam; not engaging; and thinking that racking up a ton of followers and "friends" is the key!
Use Social Media just like the offline cocktail party; BNI group or Chamber of Commerce meeting. Each day, focus on finding a few key people and building rapport!
EXPECT Success!
Jackie Ulmer
Randy Clark
What is the most important reason for a small business to use social media?
It evens the playing field. We (TKO Graphix) have been able to compete (and win) against larger competitors on a more equal basis by utilizing SM. As a matter of fact, we probably had an advantage over them!
We have successfully used social media, and define success as affordable measurable results – in several ways.
Lead generation
Recruiting employees
PR initiates
Branding, name recognition
In some cases we might have have received similar results from traditional methods, but at a higher cost than SM. Often the SM is one part of an overall campaign.
Level your playing field. Get in the game! Use social media to compete. #SMWorks
Beth Duncan
Social Media is a wonderful tool for small business. Just in name recognition alone, it is worth it. Social Media provides a quick way to get the feedback that Small Businesses are looking for. Social Media provides a user-friendly way for customers & fans to contact the business, in turn letting businesses make improvements right away.
Social Media is definitely worth investing in & is not a waste of time!
Joel Goodwin
Would brand owners accept – “because we said so”…probably not. As with other business owners we need concrete, rational reasons why we would accept and implement a new technology. I am generally resistant to fads and especially when it concerns my business boldthinkcreative.com. You obviously should take the time to consider the pros and cons for your specific business, but I have closely scrutinized social-media generally in this post and offer a few of our reasons (Note: these are not ranked in any specific order and I could have as easily come up with 20 as I did 7, but if these don’t sway you go back to “because we said so”).
– Allows an open line of communication between you and your clientele. Always one of the most important aspects of the business to client interaction is healthy communication that “back-and-forth”. Twitter for example, not only allows you to communicate with those already interested in what you are saying but also allows a dialogue.
-Gives your business a unique opportunity to create a social-media persona that is in alignment with your values and mission and to express it outwardly
-Helps foster a more personal experience for your customer or client and allows them to feel that you value them and the connection you’ve made.
-You can be the source of the real-time information and breaking news or just absorb it. Not only will you be able to send the information out but in-turn, can track what people did with it.
-Marketing. This should be a pretty obvious use but it is valuable for sending out coupons, directing attention to new products, developing business prospects, etc. There are so, so many creative marketing uses.
-Know what your competition is up to. One valuable tool is the ability to use Twitter or other analytics to track what your competition is doing and do it better!
-Know what is being said about your business. Similar to tracking your competition you can also track what is being said about your business on social-media platforms.
Mike
I do not think social media is a waste of time. As technology progresses, I have realized the extent to which social media can play a role in marketing. It means reaching out to people who are more likely willing to engage with your brand, product, or service. Through the likes of Twitter, we are actually able to reach out to people who can influence the community, and get small 'endorsements' with little action necessary. Where it be a celebrity, or an expert in the fields, this means getting a brand name out there for others to see. Websites like Klout and Crowdbooster have done a great job of helping to identify these people as well. As more people come into the same, more people are likely to be influenced by it. Further, it must be taken an account that most of the time, there is no initial cost! It can be about conversation, feedback , good customer service, with little to no money needed to but put down like most marketing costs.
imtiazmajeed
Go where the people are and where they will be headed. Social media isn't going anywhere.
Short, sweet and to the point!
susanborst
It's a waste of time … ONLY if you can't make the commitment to doing it right. That means staff to strategize, execute and monitor/evaluate. If you're going to do it, do it right, or wait until you are in a position to do it right. Otherwise, stick with the proven practices you are already using as it's never good to spread your resources or your budget too thin.
DAN
Hear Hear. Got to do it right. Social Media's a commitment!!
Julia Serafina
Social media is only a waste of time, if you are spending too much time on it and /or not achieving a Retrun on Investment (ROI) for you business or personal brand. And that depends on what your goals are and wether you are measuring your online efforts. The benefits of social media marketing are well documented, for example extending reach, raising brand visibility and making new connections in your niche, both locally and on a global level. If it is done right, it can be a cost effective way to market your brand, aquire leads, drive traffic to your site, close deals and increase brand loyalty.
PeterLGent
I guess my opinion is pretty in line with everyone else. I think that social media is a must for any business, if it's being done properly. Which, takes time and/or money i.e. paying someone to do it for you. So not only will it take you time, but you need to see results from it. If you sell antique furniture that would make my grandmother happy, maybe stay off the social media spectrum for promotion. If you sell designer press-on mustaches, then why aren't I following you on twitter yet? So it all comes down to you need to be in the face of your audience and measuring your actions to see if it is successful or not. People who "like" your product on Facebook are more likely to purchase your product or are already customers. BAM! you just created a marketing list, look at all the leads. And if your product is press-on designer mustaches, where users could put up pictures of them with their mustaches, the it's going to go viral. HOORAY!!! Your online business that relied on social media to spread the word was a success.
Patricia Wilson
Small businesses have always been experts at customer relationships. The local wine store guy, the butcher, the small town hardware, the village book store, the neighborhood pub, the local chinese restaurant. …they all know how to take care of customers.
Social Media has grown and developed out of the same principles small owners have know forever: listen to customers, talk to customers , give them special offers, show them you care, keep them loyal. Now small business can do all this with social media. Relationships matter.
Steve Boller
Social Media is still in its infancy; virtually all of the Web 2.0 world did not exist 10 years ago! Therefore, anyone who wants to call themselves a true "expert" is blowing a bit of smoke. Those of us interested in harnessing Social Media in business are at best students of a growing field.
That being said, Social Media has already delivered direct, measurable results in many situations. These outcomes are especially evident in Business to Consumer interactions and brand awareness for entertainers and thought leaders. The possibilities are endless! America's biggest companies are investing millions in R&D and employing entire departments to analyze social data and find ways to capitalize on the new trends.
There may be plenty of success stories, but it seems the jury is still out on Social Media's direct effectiveness for many industry sectors. In particular, Business to Business sales do not always have a direct link to social media strategy. Many businesses are creating Facebook pages and Twitter accounts simply out of a perceived need to "keep up," not because it is helping them directly connect with their customer base. They are spending their valuable time and money trying to manage these platforms without really knowing what to do.
My short answer to this question is yes, many businesses are wasting valuable time and money on Social Media. The field is full of possibilities and will only continue to grow, but serious study and research is needed to identify a more quantifiable way for service-oriented businesses to increase their sales. There are a ton of intelligent, able consultants out there who will gladly take your money and set up a social media strategy for a business, but the constant change and innovation occuring in Social Media makes measurable results a possibility at best. Many people may have excellent intuitive insights into the nature of social media, but the gate is wide open for the Millenial generation to go beyond baseless suggestions and do the necessary work to PROVE social media's effectiveness beyond a shadow of a doubt. Only then will we identify ways for businesses to adopt truly purpose-driven social media strategy.
Brittany Macchiarola
Small businesses should be using social media…..FOR THE SAME REASON THAT BROUGHT YOU HERE.
Why did you come to comment on this post? It might be that you are overly enthusiastic about social media and its uses for small business. It might be that you enjoy actively participating in the blogosphere.
OR….It could really be that you'd like to have a $100 Best Buy gift card in your pocket!
It doesn't matter whether your business is BIG or small, your customers are always going to have the same self-serving philosophy: "What's in it for ME?" They want info., coupons, exclusives offered on-demand in a more personalized manner than an email sent to thousands — Social media helps fulfill this need.
Kyle Lacy did just that with this post. He provided you with the answer to your question, "What's in it for me?" with — A Best Buy gift card!
DCopen
What's in it for me is the answer. Always
Matt H.
This is simple:
Social Media is NOT a waste of time and is great for any business. From a financial standpoint, it's free! And who doesn't love that?!
It also allows followers to see a personal side of the company instead of traditional advertising. Messages get lost in traditional advertising and you just become another advertiser to many.
craig
That the underlying key any successful marketing effort – make the recipient aware of what's in it for them. If the reward is sufficient you will usually get the desired response.
Reputation Managment
Your method of explaining all in this post is really good, every one be
able to effortlessly understand it, Thanks a lot.