When most people think of social media they think “Free Advertising!!” Not so fast there buckaroo! You need to stop and consider a few things:
- What are your marketing goals? Just saying “I want to be on Facebook” and “Everyone’s on Twitter- why am I not on Twitter?!” is worthless unless you set a benchmark and these tools actually help you achieve that goal. If your target demographic is Adults 45-64 being on Twitter is going to miss that audience by a mile.
- Are you going to hire a consultant to help you lay this out? If you want to do it right I would say yes you are because there are tactics and strategies involved.
- Once this is all set in motion, who is going to keep it running? Are you going to do it? Do you have time to do 3 blog posts a week and a monthly newsletter? I was at a round table last night and one consultant panelist put it brilliantly “I am not selling you a goose that lays golden eggs, I’m building you a crank, you still have to turn it to get results”
Social media is a great option for so many businesses as part of a full marketing arsenal. Listening to your audience online is a huge asset and can really help you get a feel for the sentiments of your brand and it’s strength’s and weaknesses. Just make sure before you dive in you know how deep the pool is and that you can stay afloat.
