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Photo credit: Mark Magnusson (Flickr)
“Social media seems to be so much work! I have a business to run, and I’m not interested in adding more workload to my day.”
This is the conclusion a potential client drew from a discussion we had on strategy and monitoring a couple of days ago.
Most of the people with whom I speak online and offline share the same kind of frustration. They feel overwhelmed. And I honestly cannot blame them.
When I started considering a career in social media at the beginning of 2009, things were different and easier. We only had a few major platforms to worry about (e.g., MySpace, Facebook, Twitter…); the idea of blogging for branding purposes was taking off; and the mobile world was still in its infancy.
Now, four years later, an entrepreneur interested in reaching out to a global audience and being taken seriously often finds themselves forced to “do” social media. “All my friends and family have been advising me to go for it, so it’s the logical thing to do, you know.”
They suddenly decide to open a Facebook Page and a Twitter account, invite all the people they know to like and follow them, and then drop a few status updates and promotional links. After two weeks and a couple of comments, likes, or shares, they get frustrated and give up. ”I should have 1,000 likes and 500 followers by now. But nothing is happening! Why? Oh well, at least I tried.”
Social media is much more than Facebook or Twitter. It is a huge universe that allows brands and audiences to connect at a deeper level than offline.
I will not lie. Social media is a lot of work. But, no one is demanding that you master the basics in ten minutes.
So start small. Educate yourself. Read a lot. Observe people who have a proven record of success in your industry. And you will eventually realize that the problem never was the added workload, but rather a fear of the unknown.
