Should people care?
This is a twist on a LinkedIn post this week entitled, “Why No One Cares That Your Business Uses Social Media“. Do people really care? Should people really care? Should you care if they care?
For the types of businesses I coach (small business & entrepreneurs), they always ask, “Should I be on social media?”, not the better question of “Why should I be on social media?”. Without the why should you be there, there is no motivation TO be there.
WHY people should care
The article has a very valid point which I would like to laud. In 2012, the idea of businesses on social media was novel, new and you could drive people to your social media from your website. It’s definitely a symptom of information overload now in 2015 that their novelty is gone. There are a million more social media sites out there to choose from. How do you choose? Which ones do you choose? Several clients tell me, “I should be on XYZ media, but I don’t know what I should be doing with it.”. They have no idea how to leverage their presence to get more sales. And their customers spend more and more time on social media, but have no idea they are there or how to find them!
This becomes more important now than ever because the tide has turned. Marketers, finding their customers spend more time on social media, want to drive traffic BACK THE OTHER WAY to their websites to get those coveted sales.
Now that you care…
Most of the networkers I run into fall into one of two categories; the ones that feel they don’t have the time for social media and the others that have social media channels, but rarely use them.
Nearly every new website client asks it; the question of, “Should I be on social media?” . I always tell them, “Find out if your customers are on social media.”. Offer it, not for your exposure, but as a service to THEM. But remember, unless you are going to make consistent, persistent use of a social media channel, it seriously is not for you or your business. Go in with a strategy if you are going to go in at all and give it your all. Then – and only then – will you know for sure if it works for your business. But always remember, it isn’t FOR your business – It is always about what YOU can do for your customers.