Engaging with customers on social media definitely takes time, but the benefits can be substantial.
Social media is becoming an increasingly powerful way for small business to connect with customers online.
But many business owners don’t believe there is a strong enough return on investment.
Often saying: “It takes a lot of time”, “our audience doesn’t use social media” and “I don’t know how to use it”. The three most common excuses used to justify not using social media.
An important question to ask yourself is: “Are you sure?”
Before dismissing an online social presence completely, owners should ask themselves this question: “What are we missing out on by not having a social media presence?”
Excuse number one: “I don’t know how to use it”
Social media platforms are generally designed to be user-friendly – they need to be simple for this reason, appealing to the widest audience possible.
There are many free blog posts and how to guides available online, detailing how to use the various platforms. A small amount of time committed to becoming familiar with the basic functions of the most popular social media platforms can help you decide if it’s right for your business.
This is a great way to understand them, see how they work, and how people use them. Understanding them is important when considering if it can help your business.
Excuse number two: “It takes a lot of time”
It can be true, social media often will require significant time and effort to see a considerable return. However, using your time and effort efficiently, social media becomes much easier.
Automation tools and prioritizing with the most popular platforms is a great way to reduce the overall time and effort required.
Social media can also provide valuable data, research and feedback, helping you track performance of marketing, updates – and also your competitors.
Some social media platforms will work for your business, and some won’t. More importantly it can help you to understand who your audience is and where they are most active. A great place to start.
Excuse number three: “Our audience doesn’t use social media”
You will be surprised, in some cases shocked, by the information and data you can collect from social media activity – information that can be incredibly beneficial to any marketing plan.
Every day the average social media user spends approximately 1.5 to 2 hours on each platform. An impressive statistic.
It’s possible customers discuss your business, services and brand online, but if you don’t have a presence, how would you know? You could be missing out on many opportunities to engage with your customers and target market.
There are a number of excuses, but realistically there are no convincing reasons for your business to be not using social media. It’s here to stay, therefore embrace it, and use it to your advantage.
