In today’s B2B competitive world, there is a daily hand-to-hand battle almost to gain market share. Growing your business today and grabbing a larger share of the market has turned into nothing short of guerilla warfare. Companies need to use every tool available to reach sales goals and objectives. To achieve these goals, companies have turned to Social Media to expand their customer base and profits. As well, they should. A good friend told me. “If your business is not in Digital and Social – then you are NOT in business.” That could not be truer. Still, we run into prospective clients all the time who say they have fears about getting into Social Media to grow their business. So let’s talk about getting rid of those Social Media Fears.

Interestingly, in this Digital and Social Media age some disturbing research emerges showing how little some businesses and enterprises know about their social media efforts.  Consider this:

• Nearly 9 in 10 businesses are not measuring their social media efforts at all.
• Only 20 Fortune 500 companies actually engage with their customers on Facebook, while 83% have a presence on Twitter
• 24% of small business have no social media presence at all

As you can see, there are companies which are still lagging behind when it comes to making effective use of the power of Social Media. So why is it that most companies are still ineffective in their social media marketing.

How are these Social Media fears verbalized?  We often see comments like:

“Social media is a fad.”

“Social media doesn’t work.”

“Social media is an invasion of privacy.”

“We don’t need social media. We sell enough.”

I witness these real Social Media fears when I speak at conferences or conducting workshops and training or even when I am providing guidance to CEOs or individuals on a one-on-one basis.

Three Simple Reasons Companies Are Not in Social Media

How Much Will It Cost? Companies Not Sure of Their Investments

The truth is that every company wants to maximize profits and minimize losses. However, many companies fear that social media content will not give them any realistic return on their investments. In a nutshell, they are not too sure of their ROI. Plus, many business owners think there are significant costs associated with being successful in social media. The best way to avoid wasting time and money is to have a plan. Social media strategy is required if you want to cast out the fear and get optimal results.

Lack of Experience

Many companies believe that Social Media is only meant for the experts who truly understand everything about Social Metrics. Unfortunately, they fail to understand the fact that it is not rocket science. Through minimal easy to understand internal training, you can turn your marketing department and employees into a social media machine that delivers efficient and cost-effective results. And rest assured it will all work out: No one watches your brand as you do.

Fear of Public Criticism

If you have a business and have failed to use social media platforms, then fear of being publicly criticized may be why you have not engaged in this powerful marketing tool. Think about your business now. As a business owner, you know there will always be customers who aren’t satisfied with one or two aspects of your services, products, etc. How do you deal with those customers now to solve their complaints and still retain them as good customers? Those same techniques are the same ones you should use online in Social Media. The key to successful customer relationship management in Social Media is quickly responding to posts and honestly addressing customer issues. Our years of Social Media experience show this approach will yield you more loyal customers.

Two Quick Solutions to Move Past Social Media Fears

Step #1: Create and implement a social media plan.

For organizations or businesses….

Teach those individuals who will work on your Social Media and other employees what social media marketing is and why it’s vital to the future growth of your company. Establish rules and policies on how employees ought to act on social media, how to figure out what’s appropriate in social media posts, and what shouldn’t be done. Likewise, put together a plan if a customer has an issue and posts it to social media. Be prepared to respond quickly. The effort you put into establishing the framework for employee social media use will pay off when (not if) tight spots emerge.

If you are an individual….

Educate yourself on what social media networking is for YOU and why it’s vital… for YOU. While you don’t have to formally write it down (although that would be a smart exercise), decide your approach for posting content! Think about when you spend time commenting and engaging on other social media posts, how you’ll react and what topics you’ll want to stay away from (like politics), regardless of how enticing they might be.

Step #2: In Social Media – your strategy needs to communicate your brand’s value.

Regardless of whether you’re a business or an individual, social media success is predicated on the value you can offer. Of course, I’m talking about the value created and reinforcing every individual’s mind when interacting with you and your brand.

With a social media plan that defines your unique value, has a thought out plan, identifies your target audience, and has specific goals that can be measured, Social Media fears become a non-issue. Use the right metrics to measure your results and guide your path in social. With each new step, learning replaces fear.

“Do one thing ordinary that alarms you.”

Position yourself for growth through Social Media in 2017. Don’t let social media fears hold you back from achieving high levels of success and becoming the best version of yourself.

At Lucé Media, we understand that small to medium-sized businesses have these concerns. We get that these fears are real to many businesses and individuals alike. That’s why we have created social media training programs, online social media boot camps, Social Media Summits and more. Let our experts teach you how to work on all Social Media platforms successfully. Let us show you our patented social media metrics that clearly outline what you are doing right and what needs improvement.

Send us a note by clicking here. Alternatively, call us at (469) 907-1057. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Let’s do this together!