Got a Little Time for Some Social Media?
from Paul Chatem and Mike Maxwell exhibit: Until the Whistle Blows
Last night as I was doing a multitasking; the usual – tweeting, “G plussing”, writing notes and “buffering” blog posts while watching a contemporary dance routine on So You Think You Can Dance.
I came across this post on Business2Community by a writer who advised small business owners to jump aboard the social media bandwagon because among other things…
“One of the major attractions of social media is that it is very easy to use and social media marketing doesn’t take up much of your time.”
I almost choked on my martini olive!
WTF! We’re still pitching this BS in 2012?
I wanted to run to my desk and write an angry comment - but there was a jazz routine coming up so I let it wait until this morning.
As a self-employed consultant, I am the boss of me.
I have control over what I want to do with my time. I’m aware that every minute I spend on something that doesn’t further my business goals is money wasted.
I’m also aware of how challenging and time consuming it is to keep up with new technologies and media changes.
But let’s say I’m an owner of a small Bistro.
Though I own my own business, truth is, my business own me.
One day you send me an email and I agree to take time out of my day to see you. You come in and tell me that if I want to be competitive and get tons of more clients, I have to be on social media.
I say that I have no extra money, don’t know the first thing about social media and have absolutely no time to learn.
“No problem”, you say “…it’s free and really easy. I’ll manage it, write content and monitor your accounts for as little as $48 a month! – You won’t have to do anything.”
My client received the following solicitation from a local company whose website has no photos, no names and no social media icons. The contact page contains only a PO Box address, phone number and email address; info@…
It would be interesting to see how much monitoring/research/writing/strategy” you could do in 1 hour a month.
(Screenshot – Translated from French)
(From the email…)
“SOCIAL NETWORKS HAVE BECOME GREAT COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND PROFITABLE:
• Not enough time to manage your Facebook account or Twitter + Google?
• You want to increase the number of fan or subscriber of your Facebook page or Twitter + Google?
• You want to be on Facebook, or Twitter + Google and you need help creating your account or accounts?
• You need to update your Facebook, or Twitter + Google?
• You need support, advice or training to manage your Facebook, or Twitter + Google?
(name) offers a complete range of plans for managing your social networking accounts and from only $ 48 per month with no commitment or contract and several a la carte services.”
There are scammers in every industry. And you’ve probably seen this type of BS before.
We value what we pay for.
Giving small companies the impression that social media is free encourages them to not take it seriously as an integral part of their business plan.
It encourages them to jump on the bandwagon without knowing where it’s going.
After a couple of months, tumble weeds start rolling down their dried up twitter streams. faces aren’t looking back at them from their Face Book Page and even Google+ is giving them a minus.
Not surprisingly, a majority of SMB owners give up and retreat to more familiar territory of running their business.
Can we please put this issue to rest. Can we please stop treating social media as if were a magic elixir? As Aaron Neville sings, let’s Tell it like it is.
Social media isn’t a band aid or a bandwagon.
It’s a part of a comprehensive business plan to make your company more collaborative, communicative and responsive.
As such, it demands an investment of time and resources. How much, depends on the goals you set.
Social media can make a good business a great business.
It’s worth the investment.
Have you come across any great social media management deals, lately?
About Ray Hiltz
Ray Hiltz is a Social Media Strategist with management roots in restaurant, hotel and performing arts. A strong proponent for the power of collaborative communication and "humanized" digital networking, Ray writes about social media, social business and Google Plus. His clients include hotels, restaurants, consulting firms, entrepreneurs, writers and individuals just trying to make sense of "social". Ray is a popular speaker on Social Media, Social Business and Google+.
