Believe it or not, many small business owners—particularly in the off line world—are still confused about social media.
Perhaps the confusion is due to trepidation: many mom and pop shops fear technology and change. Or maybe the confusion is due to a lack of knowledge: many folks are still out there asking “what the heck is Twitter?”
Regardless of the reason, the confusion should stop here. Small business owners, take note as the following should clear everything up for you regarding social media:
Social media is nothing more than another marketing channel.
Simple enough, right?
As long as a business owner understands that social media is just another marketing channel, the confusion around social media and the uncertainty of its practicality should be completely demystified.
Take out the tweets, fan pages, diggs, stumbles, reddits, you tubes and other vernacular about social media and boil it down to its essence: social media is just another form of communication. Basically it is no more than an additional avenue for business owners to communicate the value that their product or service can provide.
In this light, we can even take another step towards social media enlightenment by asking one simple question: does your target market use social media?
If yes, then get plugged in, get tweeting, get a fan page, post a video or otherwise get to work communicating your message via social platforms. They are quick, easy and extremely inexpensive to implement.
If no, then do nothing. Why waste resources on communication channels that your market does not use?
Admittedly, there are fewer and fewer businesses that cannot benefit from a strong social media presence. Many are using the power of social media to move their business to the next level. The interactivity, the immediacy and the ability to leverage your message are all reasons to consider the use of social media.
But social media is no different than any other marketing: if you cannot hit your target, don’t waste your ammunition.
Perhaps the confusion is due to trepidation: many mom and pop shops fear technology and change. Or maybe the confusion is due to a lack of knowledge: many folks are still out there asking “what the heck is Twitter?”
Regardless of the reason, the confusion should stop here. Small business owners, take note as the following should clear everything up for you regarding social media:
Social media is nothing more than another marketing channel.
Simple enough, right?
As long as a business owner understands that social media is just another marketing channel, the confusion around social media and the uncertainty of its practicality should be completely demystified.
Take out the tweets, fan pages, diggs, stumbles, reddits, you tubes and other vernacular about social media and boil it down to its essence: social media is just another form of communication. Basically it is no more than an additional avenue for business owners to communicate the value that their product or service can provide.
In this light, we can even take another step towards social media enlightenment by asking one simple question: does your target market use social media?
If yes, then get plugged in, get tweeting, get a fan page, post a video or otherwise get to work communicating your message via social platforms. They are quick, easy and extremely inexpensive to implement.
If no, then do nothing. Why waste resources on communication channels that your market does not use?
Admittedly, there are fewer and fewer businesses that cannot benefit from a strong social media presence. Many are using the power of social media to move their business to the next level. The interactivity, the immediacy and the ability to leverage your message are all reasons to consider the use of social media.
But social media is no different than any other marketing: if you cannot hit your target, don’t waste your ammunition.
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