Is Social Media a Waste of Time for Small Businesses?
At one of the social media events in PDX, Jeremiah Owyang, was asked to comment on a blog journal titled, “Is Twitter a waste of time for small business?” The original poster had come to the conclusion that it was, but Jeremiah made an excellent point that if your audience is on twitter, it isn’t a waste of time. As someone who is a small business owner, as well as focusing on teaching social media to other people, I thought I’d put my own response to that question, but frame it within the wider context of social media.
The fact is, social media is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere, and in fact social media sites are seeing increasing numbers as people join. Ignoring it or pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t work. Saying that it’s a waste of time is the kind of thinking which looks toward trying to quantify social media as a way of finding ROI.
Certainly social media can and does contribute to the success of businesses. But something I’ve noticed missing from a lot of the analysis being focused on social media is the lack of understanding about the networking component of social media. Networking is about building relationships and ideally that’s what occurs in the social networking aspect of social media. We build relationships. We learn about each other, our wants, needs, etc. And then we help each other out. And from that you can grow a business, but you’ve got to realize you are building relationships with people. Without that relationship factor, social media marketing won’t be successful, because it’s driven by the consumer, by the buzz that people generate and to get that buzz you’ve got to engage people in a meaningful manner.
This is why a lot of the marketing efforts where people ceaselessly spam others with their latest products and services and ways to get thousands of followers is starting to backfire. They aren’t engaging the people they spam in a meaningful way that will make those people want to know more. Instead what they are really doing is striving so hard to get an ROI that they appear as the carpetbaggers and snake oil salespeople they really are.
Social media isn’t a waste of time, but how YOU approach it could be. If you’re only going into social media to make a quick buck and get rich, then you may be disappointed when you find out that people care more about the relationships they create than about the products and services you try to shill out. Check out this link for An excellent example of social media at work bringing in business It shows that businesses can succeed at social media when it focuses on engaging those people and building relationships!
That’s pretty powerful, and it’s based on a qualitative approach to social media…building quality relationships over quantitative relationships.
Upcoming Events
Why do I need Social Networking for my Business? Yes, you can do it less than one hour a week.
Social networking is a hot topic in businesses today. Many of us are not sure how it helps grow our business or acquire new clients or where we will have the time to add one more thing to our hectic lives. However, one thing is for sure, if we don’t come and find out, we will never have answers to these questions.
In this program, Taylor Ellwood will explain what social networking is, why it’s important to be on these sites, and how it can benefit you and your business. He will explain how to automate your social networking presence so you only need to spend one hour a week and still have time to run your business and live your life. In this class you will learn:
- What Linkedin, Facebook, Biznik, Twitter are and why it’s important to be on these sites or some of them.
- How to get clients and business from these sites.
- How to automate your online presence so are spending minimum time and effort, yet getting maximum returns.
- What a status bar is and why it’s a good idea to update it regularly.
- How these sites can be used to obtain recommendations and testimonials from your clients.
- The do’s and don’ts of Social networking and how to maintain a professional profile on each site.
Taylor will not only explain, but also demonstrate the benefits of social networks, and show you how you can attract more clients to your business.
Date: Friday, August 7 2009
Time: 11:30pm to 2pm
Price: $35.00 per person, Lunch included
Location: 607 Main Street Suite 240, Oregon City, 97045
To register please RSVP with Diane Dahlins. Check and credit cards only please, when rsvping.
Are you networking effectively? How to turn your natural network into your referral team
Networking isn’t just about online social networking sites such as twitter and linkedin. And it doesn’t just involve going to a chamber meeting or other type of in-person networking event. Networking involves learning how to create relationships with all the people you know, so that you can help all of them, even as they help you. In this workshop, I’ll discuss how you can take your natural network of friends and family and interests and mesh them in with your network of business associates. By the end of this class, you’ll get started on turning your network into a lean, mean referral machine!
In this class you will learn:
- What networking is and the do’s and don’ts of networking.
- How to recognize a networking opportunity in everyday interactions.
- How to mesh your natural network with your business network and have everyone benefiting from it.
- How to listen and make connections between the people who need something, and the people who can help them.
- Know who to refer to what job
- You’ll get a free e-book when you register for this class on the Eleven Elements of Business
Date: Thursday, August 6 2009
Time: Noon to 2pm
Price: $35
Location: Bravo! Publications 630 B Avenue Lake Oswego OR 97034
To register please rsvp with Taylor Ellwood at Imagineyourreality or register via paypal
Checks or paypal only please
Teleseminar: What are your Businesses’s Strengths and Weaknesses?
Do you know what your strengths and weaknesses are for your Business? In this one hour teleseminar, I’ll provide you an assessment tool you can use to assess where your business is strong and where it is weak. You will come away with increased clarity about what’s working in your business and what isn’t, as well as with a plan of action to remedy the weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths. You will learn the following:
- Why it’s important to check your business plan every 3 months, and how it can help you improve your business
- How to assess your business model and determine what your strengths and weaknesses are
- Action steps you can take to make your business successful
3pm to 4pm (PST time), 6pm to 7pm (EST Time) on August 10th and 17th
Cost $20, and you get a free e-book on social media marketing when you register
To register, email me at Imagineyourreality or via paypal
Categories: marketing, Social Media
Tags: Jeremiah Owyang, networking, ROI, social media coach, social media marketing, Taylor Ellwood
