Should your company be Twittering, engaging customers on Facebook and blogging away? Many of my clients are attending seminars where experts are saying "yes". I say "maybe".
Consider the following to evaluate whether social media is for you:
1. Do you need immediate results?
Social media marketing is a gradual process of engagement. It is not the same as placing an ad and measuring its success by the number of phone calls or website visits immediately afterward. Are you ready to commit to a time-intensive, long-term program that may not deliver measurable results for many months?
2. Do you or your company employees have the time?
There is a reason why many companies let weeks go by between blog and Facebook posts and abandon Twitter after a handful of Tweets. Out-of-pocket costs may be low or non-existent, but these tools require a significant investment of time. Before you begin, plan social media responsibilities and schedule time for it. Don't begin if you don't have the time to constantly maintain a social media presence.
3. Can you handle open (and public) dialogue?
It's scary to allow comments on blogs or get negative feedback on Facebook, but that's part of what makes social media effective. It is about building relationships; not about the immediate sale of the widget of the day. If you can't stomach open conversations on a public platform, social media may not be a good forum for your company.
4. Can you resist the hard sell?
Nobody will follow you if all you want to do is sell your products or service. Are you prepared to generate useful content that people will actually want to view? Are you willing to share some of your knowledge for free to build relationships that may result in loyal customers down the road?
5. Do you have a strategy?
Effective social media campaigns require planning. Map out your goals, target audiences, content ideas, content responsibilities, schedules and monitoring mechanisms. That way, you'll have a road map to follow in the often overwhelming social media world. Start your social media marketing efforts slowly and expand gradually as you see results and get a deeper understanding of the time and expertise involved.
