
Social media can be great for some businesses, but not all businesses.
I know, I know. You’ve been told that you NEED social media. But the truth is, if you’re not sure how to use it to benefit your business your better off not creating a profile.
It sounds counterintuitive-but let me explain.
Recently, I had a conversation with a business owner who told me they created their social media accounts because they hoped to generate leads but found that mouth-to-mouth advertising was breadwinner. As his business grew busier, he couldn’t remain consistent with social media and deleted it.
I was impressed he deleted his accounts. Why? Social media accounts that are inactive reflect badly on businesses. It looks like no one cares enough about their business or their customers to take care of them through social media posts or updates.
If you don’t know what social media should be doing for you and your brand, then it’s probably time to take a step back and really think about how you want to use it.
When deciding whether or not to use social media as a part of your marketing strategy, there are a few things you’ll want to consider:
- Your target audience – is your target audience using social media?
- Do you know exactly what your brand/business stands for and how you want to represent it?
- Do you have time in your schedule to manage social media posts effectively?
- Are other marketing efforts providing the results you want?
Social media is great for businesses that have the bandwidth to dedicate to it, but if you’re busy running your business, don’t feel like you have to be on social media just because everyone else is. If you’re struggling to keep up with your customers and their questions on social media, consider hiring someone who can help with that aspect of your business.
However, if hiring someone isn’t an option, it’s important that you don’t feel pressured into doing something that doesn’t work for you or your business model. Don’t feel like you’re missing out if your business doesn’t have its own Instagram or Facebook account! Some of the best businesses out there are actually just brick-and-mortar storefronts with no social media presence at all—and they’re doing just fine. There are plenty of other ways to connect with customers online: email newsletters and websites are both great alternatives that don’t require as much maintenance or upkeep as social media accounts do.
But the fact remains: if you aren’t using social media in a way that makes sense for your business and your goals, then it might not be worth it for you. And that is okay.