12 Dec Mistake #1: Dismissing Social Media as Unimportant or Irrelevant to Your Business – Top 10 Social Media Mistakes
Social media is hot – all you have to do is take a look at the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ links plastered all over the Internet to know that. And all those social media channels give you the opportunity to connect quickly and build relationships with other like minded people. Are you doing that?
Here’s the thing: A lot of marketers know that social media is an important element for the growth of their business. They just don’t know how to use it properly. They often end up making mistakes that can be harmful to their brand reputation, not to mention costly. Here are 10 of the biggest mistakes that marketers make when it comes to using social media. In this series we will look at the top ten Social Media Mistakes
Mistake #1: Dismissing Social Media as Unimportant or Irrelevant to Your Business
You’ve probably met the small business person who feels that social media is a waste of time. They don’t bother to set up a Facebook fan page, and their Twitter account was last dusted off around 2009. That’s a huge mistake.
Social media is important for all businesses. Not only is it a great way to drive traffic to your site, but it’s also a fun way to build connections with your audience on a more personal level. Networking on social media is also an easier and more convenient way to go about building relationships with your target audience rather than the traditional way – live networking events.
Think about it – if you’re going to attend a live networking event in your area you have to get dressed, drive to the event, pay for admission/drinks/food, spend time mingling with as many people as you possibly can in the limited amount of time you have (and hope they’ll remember you) and then drive back home.
Networking online still allows you to interact in ways you would at a live event. You can still ask questions, ask for help, offer help, recommend others, etc. But doing it online allows you the freedom to do it without constraints of space or time like live events often have. Some people like online networking via social media better because they feel it’s less intimidating than attending a live event.
Social media also makes it easier for your customer or potential customer to learn more about you and your business. Now days it’s not uncommon for people to go to the internet and do a search when they’re looking for a service or business. In fact, people often use the internet as their primary source of finding information because it’s quick and easy. This means if you’re not utilizing social media they can’t find you!
Building a social media presence for your business is important and is going to provide a way for you to connect with more people in your target market and build a relationship with them. And in the end people buy from those they know, like and trust.
If you’re still on the fence about whether or not social media is important for your business, consider a few statistics (found at http://www.mbaonline.com/a-day-in-the-internet/):
- • 172 million people visit Facebook daily
- • 22 million people visit LinkedIn daily
- • 20 million people visit Google+ daily
- • 17 million people visit Pinterest daily
And if none of that convinces you that social media is relevant to your business, consider this: Your customers ARE using it. And they’re probably talking about you. If you’re not there to monitor and respond, the consequences can be disastrous.