Here is the 10 biggest myths and things I hear on a daily basis. So I also give my thoughts on how to overcome the obstacles.
1. I Am Not a Technology Person … This excuse does not work anymore. First, it is very user friendly, but there is so much free training. You do not have to be a CIO to use Social Media. This is an investment because this is not going away.
2. Just sign up and think you are “on social media”… Being on Social Media is a 2 way dialogue at a minimum. It is about conversations and creating relationships. Like any relationship it requires sustained effort.
3. Doesn’t Require a Plan or Strategy… Almost every person I speak to says they are on Social Media, but have plan or direction in which they are trying to increase their value on it. If you do not have a map and any goals, then it will be impossible to judge if you are on the right platforms. If you could do certain things better. Everything in life worth doing deserves the time to plan a strategy.
4. I Do Not Have Time… If you want to maintain, increase and insulate your business, you better MAKE time. This is here to stay. It is too important to keep on the back burner because I promise if you are not conversing with your clients, your competition is enjoying that engagement.
5. I Do Not Have Anything Interesting to Say… I hear this one. Everyone has something of value to bring to the table. Think about the topics that keep your clients up at night. If you personally do not have any solutions or thoughts, then go online and find articles and topics of interest and share those. The converse I hear daily is why do I care what food someone is eating. First, those people do not get social media. There needs to be value. BUT, do not dismiss a tweet as simple as what food someone is eating either. If it is a prospect, that might be a conversation starter. “That is great that you love Chinese food, I do too, I know the best Chinese restaurant in the city, how does your calendar look next Wed for me to take you…”
6. It is about you, your products & company… This is the fastest way to get shut out of Social Media. It is the number one mistake I see. Nobody cares about you. I cringe when I see it because I know how much I get turned off. If you just talk about you, then you will be even more invisible than that TV commercial that everyone just DVR’s by all the time.
7. You will not have control… You do not and never had control anyway. The conversation is going on with or without you. We had this same conversation with email. Your best bet is to engage and get involved.
8. I am just one person and cannot compete with big companies… As Seth Godin said, “Small is the New Big” – and with the internet you can have just as big as reach. Your goal is to have remarkable products and raving fans that talk about you and it will spread horizontally.
9. Why would I want to hear about bad things people are saying about me… This may be the dumbest one. This is the greatest opportunity you have. This is your chance to turn sour grapes into wine. Use this as an advantage and a chance to engage with customers.
10. This is a fad and doesn’t work… The question we should not be asking ourselves any longer is does the medium work, because it is the medium. Rather the question should be how to better utilize it and customize solutions that will work.
Hope these help. If I missed any, then please add to the comments and we can discuss.
When I was in elementary school, I had a teacher that every Friday was dream day… It was the greatest. As a dreamer myself, I loved it. Every Friday we came in and we talked about what we wanted to be. No matter how outlandish a dream was, she embraced it. It could have been easy for her to say they weren’t realistic, but she did quite the opposite.
