Social Media for Marketers: Why Waste Your Time?

According to Kevin Conway, President - Boston eMarketing Solutions, "Social Media for Business is CRAP" His initial post on LinkedIn (a professional networking site) with the aforementioned title was made a month ago and has gone viral with over 300 posts in response and growing. Of the hundreds of posts, there are varying opinions as to its use and, more importantly, it's ROI (return on investment). Some swear by it stating a strong presence on social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, LinkedIn, etc.) is mandatory and that clients / customers come predominantly from these sites. Others write it off saying it is a complete waste of time and that they've never gotten a single customer from social media sites.

So, what does that tell us? Mostly that there are a lot of variables: some may have tried 2.0 (social media) and given up quickly because of poor results; some may have used it for a considerable period of time with high expectations for making sales and gained none, using it poorly; some may have been trained in using 2.0 effectively and were able to do so; so on and so on.

This all points to the fact that social media is young and people are still trying to determine its use. Of course, if you're just looking to connect with family and friends that's an easy one. Go right ahead and enjoy. But if you're attempting to bring your product and / or service to the world that's not so obvious, and it may be more harmful than helpful if used incorrectly.

But what are those in the know saying?

Those who are looking to make money may say "It will never be a conversion generating tool such as SEM [search engine marketing]" Andreas Akesson, Director at Active Internet Consulting.

Others may say " Does social media sell? Again, not really, but it influences. Do you want your competition influencing your prospects? Probably not, so you need to have representation in these social arenas" Angie Weeks, Founder - CFO at Cal Coast Web Design and Owner, Cal Coast Web Design.

Those in the know who go deeper may say, "The answer always lies in the ROI. Would more or less time with social media provide the best ROI? How best can it be integrated in with other marketing tools? The answer here lies with the type and size of business, its industry, its customers and prospects" Ardith McCann, Marketing Communications Think Tank.

But probably the most important point made by those in the know will say, "I heard Donald Trump answer a question about the secrets to success, he said something like you can work all the tricks in book but the bottom line is that you've gotta have the goods, the talent.' My take on that- if what you offer isn't what Seth Godin refers to as the best in the world' to some segment of your market, then all the social media/online marketing/seo tricks won't help you. Spend your time and effort making your offering exceptional, then let your clients spread the word for you on the Social Media channels" Bill Russell, Technical Advisor / Problem Solver and Executive Fitness Coach.

Key point. If you haven't worked like a dog to create a GREAT product and / or service, then all the social media gurus combined won't help you maintain success. You may get a burst of traffic even sales, but to sustain growth (and remember that in business like in spirituality you're either heading toward God-growth-or heading toward the devil-regression) you need a great product / service.

But most marketers will agree that even though ROI is debatable, social media is big and not having a presence there is harmful to the perception of your business as not being cutting edge, a leader, mover and shaker. And to encourage you to use it, here's a statement from a press release on comScore: " Conducted in tandem with social media agency M80, the study, The Influenced: Social Media, Search and the Interplay of Consideration and Consumption,' reveals the dramatic correlation influenced discovery of brands through social media." So at least use it to connect to your customers and build your brand.

So even though it's still in its infancy, SM can be put to good use:

1. Social Media builds your online presence. SM marketing campaigns can build a large number of back links. SM gets you on the first page of Google. Tweets, Twitter profiles, blogger profiles now show up on the first page of Google. Many even say it's the future of SEO (search engine optimization).

2. SM builds credibility. People want to connect to a face, a human, someone who's visible, not just a company logo. Here customers can check you out through Twitter, Facebook, blog posts, articles to see what you're saying and how others are reacting to you, your services and products.

3. Through SM you can find networking partners, joint ventures, support and training, and so on.

4. It also allows customer / clients to get in touch with you immediately to comment or complain. It's a quick way to put out fires before they flare up.

5. It also enables you to ease into a customer's purchase. Through their research and reading up on your services and products, they learn quite a bit about what you have to offer. Therefore, you can avoid hard-sale tactics.

6. Cost? Free. Need I say more?

7. Widens your reach.

8. Attracts leads.

If you're in business and not using social media, well, it could be one of the biggest mistakes you may not forgive yourself for making a year down the road or so when SM's true potential is discovered. And if it goes the other route and tanks, well, as long as you've only spent a few minutes a day using it (some say 30 to 40 minutes tops), then you haven't lost that much, have you? And as a final point of reference, let's have Woody close, shall we?

"If your not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative" Woody Allen