Many companies thinking about getting into social media to grow their business are stymied from the beginning because of the overwhelming challenge that faces them.
Those of you in that very position right now: I have great news for you. Everyone started where you are right now. Don’t be put off by what lies ahead. A solid social media presence is like any other successful thing: It takes time to build.
The 2011 Social Media Marketing Report said that 58% of the 3,300 marketers surveyed are using social media for more than six hours per week, while 34% invest 11 or more hours weekly. 15% spend more than 20 hours a week blogging, tweeting, etc.
Don’t Hold Back
^^ It’s not just a guilty-pleasure former favorite song of mine, it’s 100% true when it comes to social media.
The thing that holds people back the most is that there is no clear-set rules to social media. you can spend hours and hours researching platforms and ideas from all over the web and still not feel like you’ve found your magic bullet. (HINT: There isn’t one.)
Make a Commitment
It takes time to build trust, so one big push isn’t going to be enough. Think of your investment in social media as an ongoing thing. Spiral16 just started a Pinterest page recently, and we’re having a lot of fun curating and pinning interesting stuff, but we’re just getting started. I don’t expect to get the 5,700 Twitter followers we have @spiral16 overnight.
Know Your Objective
The important thing is to understand the reason you are engaging in social media in the first place. Don’t get bogged down by all the tools and platforms out there and their various strengths and weaknesses. If you know what you want out of social media (more exposure, web traffic, sales, brand loyalty, lead generation, better customer service, etc.), then you’re one step closer to finding a tool(s) that will help you get there.
Listen and Learn
Once you have aligned your goals with a social media program, the first step is listening. Get the lay of the land as far as your brand/product/service is concerned. What are people saying about you, your competition, and your industry or product category in particular? Social media research is one of the best ways to make sure that every decision you make going forward is grounded in targeted data. The results you get from looking at the web (and asking/engaging with your customers) will inform every move you make.
Focus. Monitor. Measure. Adjust. Repeat.
Each business faces different challenges when it comes to creating an ongoing social media program that drives business, so there will be a lot of trial and error involved. But that’s okay. As long as you continue to monitor and research the web and social media, you can stay connected and make the necessary changes to make sure that your efforts are focused. Looking at the results of the program will tell you whether you are meeting or exceeding your goals.
by Eric Melin
http://www.spiral16.com/
Those of you in that very position right now: I have great news for you. Everyone started where you are right now. Don’t be put off by what lies ahead. A solid social media presence is like any other successful thing: It takes time to build.
The 2011 Social Media Marketing Report said that 58% of the 3,300 marketers surveyed are using social media for more than six hours per week, while 34% invest 11 or more hours weekly. 15% spend more than 20 hours a week blogging, tweeting, etc.
Don’t Hold Back
^^ It’s not just a guilty-pleasure former favorite song of mine, it’s 100% true when it comes to social media.
The thing that holds people back the most is that there is no clear-set rules to social media. you can spend hours and hours researching platforms and ideas from all over the web and still not feel like you’ve found your magic bullet. (HINT: There isn’t one.)
Make a Commitment
It takes time to build trust, so one big push isn’t going to be enough. Think of your investment in social media as an ongoing thing. Spiral16 just started a Pinterest page recently, and we’re having a lot of fun curating and pinning interesting stuff, but we’re just getting started. I don’t expect to get the 5,700 Twitter followers we have @spiral16 overnight.
Know Your Objective
The important thing is to understand the reason you are engaging in social media in the first place. Don’t get bogged down by all the tools and platforms out there and their various strengths and weaknesses. If you know what you want out of social media (more exposure, web traffic, sales, brand loyalty, lead generation, better customer service, etc.), then you’re one step closer to finding a tool(s) that will help you get there.
Listen and Learn
Once you have aligned your goals with a social media program, the first step is listening. Get the lay of the land as far as your brand/product/service is concerned. What are people saying about you, your competition, and your industry or product category in particular? Social media research is one of the best ways to make sure that every decision you make going forward is grounded in targeted data. The results you get from looking at the web (and asking/engaging with your customers) will inform every move you make.
Focus. Monitor. Measure. Adjust. Repeat.
Each business faces different challenges when it comes to creating an ongoing social media program that drives business, so there will be a lot of trial and error involved. But that’s okay. As long as you continue to monitor and research the web and social media, you can stay connected and make the necessary changes to make sure that your efforts are focused. Looking at the results of the program will tell you whether you are meeting or exceeding your goals.
by Eric Melin
http://www.spiral16.com/
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