Where’s the ROI?
How many of you spend time on Facebook during work hours? This is especially easy to do in a home office, given the absence of co-workers or supervision to keep us on task. When we’re done looking at photos of our friend’s adorable children, or latest travel adventure, Facebook has so much to offer as a marketing tool for small business.
But, it’s not free! We may not pay out of pocket for Facebook or most other social media platforms, but we all know how easy it is to spend a half hour (or more) perusing Facebook, scrolling through Twitter, and sending out our message to the world. And as the old saying goes, time IS money. This is especially true for a small business. So, if we are going to spend time promoting our businesses through social media, it is crucial that we get a return on that investment. Having hundreds of Twitter followers and Facebook fans is a great ego boost, and we may build a wonderful supportive community for ourselves, but unless your business income increases as a direct result of the time spent on social media marketing, then it’s not a wise investment.
If it’s not personal, it’s not good business
Amidst the many tools and tips at Social Media Camp, the message I heard repeatedly was this: You ARE your brand. It used to be said “It’s not personal, it’s business.” With the emergence of social media, that’s no longer the case. Business IS personal. People expect that. Social media is a fantastic way to engage with customers and clients in a way that represents our brand, and our business, while being personal. Build relationships, build trust, reply to tweets and posts, learn who your clients are, create a social environment for business to take place online. If our business grows because people feel connected to us in a personal way, then that is worth every second spent updating a status, posting photos of new product, hosting a contest, or tweeting the latest deals.
If you go to Social Media Camp next year (and I highly recommend it) lunch is included, but be sure to pack your own s’mores. You’ll thank me when that mid-afternoon information overload coma kicks in.
How do you use social media in your business? How do you ensure a positive ROI?
