For small businesses, social media is a "means to an end." I give you 6 reasons on how social media can help you achieve your objectives. I also provide the 5 most common excuses why small businesses aren't using SM and my responses to them. Enjoy!
6. Milwaukee to Lubbock, TX
1,224 Miles Using Google Maps
36 Separate Steps
Shortest = 404 Feet; Longest = 378 Miles
20 Hours 23 Minutes to Get There
10 Volunteers
Who gets there first? Why?
7. Six Reasons To Use
Social Media
Lead Generation
Customer Service
Market Research
Competitive Analysis
Networking
PR
9. Top 5 Excuses
I’m Late to the Party
There’s Too Much to Learn
I Don’t Have the Time
Social Media is Constantly Changing
I Don’t Need It to Run My Business
10. My Responses
Social Media is Like College. You Can’t Take
128 Credits in One Semester
If You Can’t Find the Time to Do Something
Right; When Will You Find the Time to Do It
Over?
The Horse Has Left the Barn.
Make the Investment.
11. 10 Suggestions
Twitter
Tweet, Retweet & Reply
Be Consistent
Avoid Politics, Religion & Tweeting After Midnight
EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY: 100k tweets sent Almost 700k pieces of content shared on FB 2 million queries on Google 48 hours of video uploaded to YouTube $272k spent online by consumers ALSO: One billion Facebook users 3 billion hours of YouTube watched monthly 58% of Americans use social networking sites several times/day.
Definition - SM is a set of Internet Based Tools that Act as a Catalyst in the Changing Way the World Communicates. Business owners as well as any other business professional needs to recognize that we are going through a metamorphosis. By not joining the conversation, business owners run the risk of becoming extinct. Business owners need to see social media as a tool that can help them achieve their goals.
Biz Owners don’t want to be a Twitter guru or a FB God. They want to sell more products or services! Social Media can help business owners get to where they want to go. BUT…do business owners even know where they want to go? That’s the BIG question.
Young entrepreneurs see business plans as old school or something that is “1 & done.” Living, breathing document/GPS system How many people here would be lost w/o your cell phones? It’s the same concept for biz owners and their biz plans!! Strategic Goal (go from $700k to $1million) Operational Plan: How to get there. SM is embedded into your operational plan. Let’s conduct an experiment.
10 People: Everyone gets an envelope with enough $$ for gas/food/hotel & 10% contingency for flat tires/post cards. 2 get Smartphones with Google Maps 2 get Rand McNally print maps 6 people get envelopes. Who gets there first? The same rule applies to business and life! The better your plan, the better your chances for success and the less likely it is for getting lost How can we use SM for business?.
First two are related to selling The second two focus on the 90% preparation The last two focus on building your brand In all 6 reasons, look for Return on Time Invested (ROTI) rather than Return on Investment (ROI) Also watch for time robbers (chatting with old friends or new ones) If you can’t apply one of the six reasons to your SM work, then you aren’t using it for business.
Where are your customers? Potential customers? Partners? Industry experts? Competitors? THAT is where you should be? ENGAGE with them! Plastics Manufacturer with a FB page. Getting my Twitter account hacked. The Cool Hunter and Facebook Good Tools: Twitter HashTags, LI profile organizer
The 5 most common excuses I’ve heard over the last 4 years when giving over 100 workshops/seminars on social media for business owners.
Most business owners really don’t have a choice in whether or not to get involved in social media. If they don’t, they face extinction!