Social Media - Does Business Need It?

7/27/2019 Social Media - Does Business Need It?

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Social Media Does Business Need It?

The recent growth and acceptance of social media has been phenomenal and show no s igns of slowing

down. In fact social media is st ill growing at an exponent ial rate and has in many ways t ransf ormed the way

we meet and connect with people, gather information, and even do business.

Old industries become obsolete and new indust ries spring up and nowhere is this more prevalent than the

internet and the opportunities are massive. In many ways the world has become a smaller place where

communication and ideas are almos t instantaneous across t raditional state borders.

We are indeed social creatures and social media has undoubtedly proven that concept but I want to go o ne

step further by stat ing that businesses are also social by nature. This makes sense when you think that

business is a human endeavour and is set up f or people to trade goods and services to other people.

Social behaviour is at the core o f every business and it is this element that drives business to success o r

f ailure.

To take this concept one step f urther it also makes sense that business would do exceptionally well on

so cial media. So why, in this digital age is there st ill a reluctance for many businesses to embraced so cial

media? Or, why havent businesses quite worked out how to use this new and relatively cheap medium to

their best advantage?

Today, I want to invest igate these two issues and compare the negative and positive arguments relating toso cial media.

Reasons Why Some Businesses are not utilising Social Media

1. Their industry doesnt suit social media
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Really? Society is interested in you otherwise you wouldnt be in business . The trick is to research

where your target market is and connect with them there.

2. Worried about bad press and reviews

People will talk about you regardless so why not be t here to catch and deal with negative

conversations or even prevent them f rom occurring. If your business is ethical and your goods and

services are f antas tic then negativity would be minimal.

3. Cant see the importance

The importance lies in the fact that around 90% of western internet populations are connected to

social media. Social media started of f as a place f or young people, students and hipsters to gather

and connect. Now the demographic has changed with all ages, socio economic groups and

businesses now connected with each other.

4. Takes up too much time

Yes, social media does take time to get established, attract and keep a loyal audience. The decision

and commitment to set up a social media program is a long term investment and is about developingand building strong business relationships with consumers and peers. A clear company policy and

st rategy will help with ef f iciency.

5. Too expensive

Social media platf orms are f ree to join and use but t he expense lies in the t ime spent working and

hiring staf f and/or contracto rs that would be dedicated to your so cial media presence. Cost s can be

kept to a minimum by developing clear business goals and a st rategy before hiring anyone to take

care of your social media needs. The only time it becomes expensive is when a business doesnt

have any clear goals o r plans set out.

6. No immediate or measurable ROI

Unlike traditional processes where you advertise on TV or print media that result in an immediate

spike in sales, so cial media is a long term endeavour. You can advert ise on so cial media like

Facebook but the real reason f or being there is f or relationship building, engaging and reaching out

to your existing and potential connections. Social media is a place for your business to develop

consumer and indust ry trust, loyalty, accessibility and transparency. It is also an excellent place for

developing your business personality and brand.

7. We cant control it

No, cant control social media and you cant really contro l ot her types o f media either. You should

already have risk management policies in place when it comes to consumer complaints, bad press

and corporate guf f s. The same applies to social media and developing a risk management po licy will

help to minimise any possible negativity. Just remember, people are going to talk about you

regardless so you may as well be there to counteract and minimise any potential damage.

8. Its a fad

As mentioned above, human beings are social creatures so it st ands to reason that social media has

been a huge success and too many people have made spectacular f ort unes for it t o f izzle out .

Companies and platf orms may come and go, technology advances will change how we social media

landscape but the so cial aspect is here to stay. Unless of course evolution cuts the social inst inct

out o f our being.

9. Its not where our customers are


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This argument may have true 5 years ago but not to day and definitely not into the f uture. On a

personal note, my mother (late 60s) is f eeling lef t out o f the loop by not being on Faceboo k yet. The

reason is because all of her elderly f riends in her quilting group have and use their Facebook

accounts. The point here is that if you are basing your assumptions on the f acts of f ive years ago,

you need to update your review.

10. Well just st ick with PR and advert ising

Advert ising and PR do work very well and will continue to do so in the f oreseeable f uture. Social

media is not an alternative to your existing marketing programs but an additional tool with very

dif f erent roles and results.

11. Our market is local or has a limite d geography

Your local market is currently using social media to communicate and gather inf ormation. Social media

platf orms such as FourSquare cater specif ically to local places. It s a place where local consumers

can f ind you, give reviews o f your products and services and research reviews already given. Social

media is a place where you can quickly and cheaply announce daily specials, and local news with your

custo mers. The f ollowing video is about a butcher shop doing very well using Faceboo k as part o f

their marketing program.

12. Its a clash with our culture

Firstly, social media is a global phenomenon that encompasses all cultures, religions, languages and

personalities. If you f eel that your business is not suited to social media then take a loo k at how

Liberty Tax rocks Faceboo k:

htt ps://www.f acebook.com/libertytax. Community services that cater to sensitive issues such

domestic violence are also using Facebook to help create community awareness:

htt ps://www.f acebook.com/Domesticviolencesupport.

13. I dont have anything to say

Social media f or business is about having a plan that can be written up months in advance. Try these

f ew ideas:

Answering consumer questions

Ask peo ple what they want to know about you

Tie in questions and conversation around your other marketing campaigns

If you have a blog, ask f or opinions and ideas for the topic you are writing about.Talk about your staf f and what they do

1. I am concerned about privacy and data security

You should already have a data security risk management po licy in place that all staf f members

should be working with. Security is a very real risk and set ting up proto cols f or all of your electronic

activities will help to minimize those risks. Privacy is also an issue that needs to be addressed within

a social media policy that should cover what is and isnt suitable to make public.

I will go out o n a limb here and state that every excuse imagined is in reality a cover for the f ear of change

and a fear o f the unknown. Fear is one o f our most powerful emot ions and we are very good at hiding it.Our culture is based on a show of st rength so if we are experiencing fear it is inst inctive to hide it and

excuses are a successful mechanism to protect our vulnerabilities. Facing our f ears and gaining knowledge

is the only way to conquer that emot ion.
https://www.facebook.com/Domesticviolencesupporthttps://www.facebook.com/libertytax


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Reasons why business need and do engage on social media

Check out this well produced video which highlights the positive ef f ects social media can have on your

business.

1. Its inexpensive

Well, that depends on how much time and resources you allocate to your social media program. It

also depends on whether you have a time ef f icient strategy in place.

2. Its here to stay

Telephones are probably the most primitive technology social communication and look at where that

little invention has gone. Social media is an extension of the telephone so even though social media

companies will come and go, the concept is here for as long as we have the internet. If you are st ill

not convinced of the longevity o f social media, then check out the numbers in this infographics.


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Infographic by- GO-Gulf.com

3. Its a permanent form of advertising

Traditional forms o f advertis ing last as long as a TV commercial or a magazine issue. The content

on your social media accounts is permanent.

4. Its where your peers, customers and compet ition are interacting.

If your plans are to get more exposure to t he right people, it makes sense to have a presence where

ever your target market is.

5. Good publicity

With a bit of planning and research you can narrow your f ocus and publicise your business to your

target market. That said, so cial media also gives you the o pportunity to reach a global audience.

6. It he lps you make more sales

Social media isnt really great f or making immediate sales but it does help in the buying cycle. It is

used f or creating awareness, exposure and relationship building which all add to the s trength and

sales capabilities of your business.

7. Great f or customer service

Social media is a place where you can engage and resolve problems in real time. Most commonissues that consumers have with your business can be published on so cial media so all your

custo mers have access to solutions. It is also a great place f or your customers to ask quest ions,

voice concerns and help one another.
http://www.go-gulf.com/web-design-abu-dhabi.php


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8. Engage with clients

Social media is very successf ul if you personally engage with your audience. Have conversations with

them, answer questions, clear up any conf usion and inform them of any changes in your company or

industry.

9. Research your clients needs

Social media is also one of the best places for monitoring and listening to conversations and

att itudes o f your target market. People talk about their experiences, likes and dislikes and everyday

life with their f riends and family on social media. With a quick search within a social media platf orm

like Facebook or especially Twitter, you can easily keep your f inger on the pulse in real time.

10. Learn what people are saying about you

People are talking about you and so cial media is a great place to f ind out what they are saying, their

opinions and whos inf luencing them. Social media is arguably the f astest way to f ind out what

people are talking about.

11. Create buzz for events & campaigns

Your social media accounts are an extension o f your business and has a potential global reach. Well

planned promot ion o f upcoming events and campaigns will create a buzz with your audience. Social

media allows your audience to share any information they find usef ul to t heir own fr iends, f amily and

acquaintances. The power o f social media is the ability f or your audience to easily and quickly

provide a word of mouth service and we all know how powerful that is f or business growth.

12. Increase brand exposure

You can create the personality of your brand and expose it t o a much wider audience at a

signif icantly lower cost than doing it via television and print media.

13. Identify and recruit influencers t o spread your message

Here is where so cial media is really clever. Inf luencers in the social sphere are popular and in most

cases t rusted members within their social communities. By identif ying and engaging with those

inf luencers will usually result in them spreading the word about your company in a positive light. Make

sure that you are aware of social media etiquette as mistakes and ignorance could be cos tly. I will got

into social media etiquette in a future post .

14. Find new opportunities and customers

Search fo r consumers that are seeking answers to quest ions that you can answer. Reach out to new

markets that you werent able to reach prior to social media.

15. Support your products and services

Dont s top at supporting your own products and services. Social media is an excellent place for

f orming strategic business alliances by helping other businesses that compliment your own. Its also

an excellent space to create good s tewardship fo r your industry.

16. Improve your search engine visibility

If you have a website, link your so cial media accounts to your website to help with SEO andconsumers wanting more information about your business.

17. Get your message out f ast

Updates and announcements made on so cial media are instant and a cost ef f ective way to


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broadcast your message.

18. Retain clients by establishing a personal relationship

Client retention and loyalty comes with great products and services, but it doesnt s to p there. Social

media allows companies to develop personal relationships and trust with their clients. It takes t ime

and planning but the long term benef its are mass ive. Not only will you have repeat business, you will

also have a st rong word of mouth and referral program which is the mos t powerful way to get new

business.

19. Be an industry leader not a follower

Social media has become a main stream form of communication with f riends and family but it is s till a

relatively new concept f or business . Being active on social media can give you an edge over your

competitors who are slow to embrace this new technology.

Love it o r hate it, social media is here to stay. Are you go ing to jump on board or are you go ing to be lef t

behind. One thing we do know is that businesses who dont s tay current with technology and consumer

trends become obsolete.

Have I missed out on anything? Please leave your ideas in the comments below and share this post within

your social media accounts.

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25001294@N00/6254673402/

8 Reasons Why Social Media Is Not For Your Business #so cialmedia #Halifax:

http://alphasocialmediainc.com/8-reasons-why-social-media-is-not-for-your-business-socialmedia-

halifax/

Social Media Why Your Business Needs Social Media in 2013:

http://ariadpartners.com/social-media-for-business/

5 Reasons why every business needs to embrace social media: http://blog.deepbluesky.com/blog/-/5-

reasons-why-every-business-needs-to-embrace-social-media_69/

7 Reasons NOT to Engage in Social Media: http://janetfouts.com/7-reasons-not-to-engage-in-social-

media/
http://janetfouts.com/7-reasons-not-to-engage-in-social-media/http://blog.deepbluesky.com/blog/-/5-reasons-why-every-business-needs-to-embrace-social-media_69/http://www.bountyvirtualsupport.com/social-media-does-business-need-it/:%20http://ariadpartners.com/social-media-for-business/http://www.bountyvirtualsupport.com/social-media-does-business-need-it/:%20http://ariadpartners.com/social-media-for-business/http://alphasocialmediainc.com/8-reasons-why-social-media-is-not-for-your-business-socialmedia-halifax/http://www.flickr.com/photos/25001294@N00/6254673402/

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Social Media - Does Business Need It?