My friend and colleague, Arthur Germain, Principal and Chief Brandteller of Communication‘s Strategy Group in East Northport Long Island, asked me to write a post for his blog, Brandtelling on questions people ask me about social media. Here are the questions and answers from my post:
How do I find the time for social media?
Social media takes a lot of time and diligence. It’s not something that you can start, walk away from and return every so often. It needs to be cultivated and maintained in order to get results.
Is social media enough?
Social media is an important part of your marketing mix but it is not the magical marketing tool that will bring you immediate results. It’s important to include social media as part of your marketing mix. When including social media, remember to focus on a few social networking sites, linking the sites together, microblogging at least 3 – 5 times a day with relevant thought provoking information, blogging daily, using an audio or video podcast and making sure that there is some consistency. In addition, include social media in your marketing mix but also consider traditional publicity, direct mail, advertising, email marketing, mobile messaging and more.
Why does anyone care about what I am eating?
Social media is about making that personal connection. With the use of technology, we have lost site of the personal connection that we had when we knew the grocery store owner, the barber and the butcher. Social media allows us to go beyond the superficial networking scene that we have become accustomed to. It enables us to learn more about each other on a more personal level so that we can make that connection and conduct business with people we like.
Isn’t this all just a fad anyway?
When people ask me this question, I say, “Was TV a fad?” Social media is here to stay. Facebook and Twitter may be popular now but may not be popular in 2012. However, another site will take its place and be used for business. Those who think that Facebook is just for “kids,” are missing the boat!
Won’t I get a lot of negative comments and feedback if I have a Facebook page?
If you have a store and you have a confrontation with someone in that store, that person can tell all of his friends not to frequent your store. All of a sudden, your sales decrease. You wonder why? Social media allows us to address our critics in a non-defensive way. In addition, Criticism is important. It enables us to change what we are doing wrong. Take each situation as it comes and remember feedback is good.
Not to be self-promotional here, but a lot of the answers to more of your questions appear in my book, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Social Media but were afraid to ask…” It is currently available on line at Borders, Barnes & Noble and Amazon. You can also get a copy in the bookstore by requesting it.
