Go Social or Go Home

Marni Weinberg - July 12, 2010

Seriously. Social Media is no longer a novelty, nor should it be viewed as such. Online Marketers who have not yet taken the plunge – ought to – and fast. Many clients that I speak with on a regular basis have already initiated a Social Media Strategy. Those who have not, typically explain their lack of social media involvement on two main reasons: Time and Knowledge and not having enough of either.

Let’s address the time factor. If you think having a Facebook or Twitter Page is going to take up time, you are 100% correct. If you’re not sure what is worse between having zero presence on social media channels, or having a crummy presence, it’s the latter. There’s no way around it, Social Media is a time investment. If you do not have the internal resources (and knowledge) to devote to your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn page, you may be doing more harm than good. A clear strategy is mission critical to the success of your Social Media efforts. There should be an action plan in place so everyone in your organization is clear as to who is responsible for which channel, how often posts will be made, which promotions will be offered and when/how you will responding to any feedback (both good and bad).

Now let’s address knowledge. It is super important to become well versed in the various social networks, especially those in which your organization will be participating. Knowledge is power and the more you educate yourself the better your efforts will be. Anyone can start a social media profile page (especially with no graphics or custom design features), but the harder part is understanding which channels are the best fit for your organization, why someone would frequent your page or profile and how to engage users to appreciate and become a part of your social media arena, as well as tell their friends/business associates about it.
If any, or all of the above, seems overwhelming, please feel free to visit the Social Media page on our website, which will hopefully help to shed a little more light on the subject. We offer a variety of programs that can be customized to your needs and goals.

Jumping into Social Media can be intimidating, however if done correctly, it can reap huge rewards. Go Social or go home!