Welcome to the ‘Thumbs Up’ Economy

Does it seem like this Social Media thing is just a popularity contest?

Does it frustrate you that people seem to make a snap judgement on your business/product/service without even taking the time to try and understand what you are all about?

Well I am not going to sugar-coat it: Welcome to the real world.

I know a lot of business owners who do not want to go into the Social Media landscape because they don’t think that they can do well there, and if that’s the case then they would prefer not to play the game. What they fail to realise is that this is what happens everyday in the real world -It just isn’t visible the way it is in the Social Media platforms.

In the real world people do make snap judgements. In the real world people do tell others what they think of your business whether they know much about it or not. In the real world people do not have the time, or in many cases the interest, to learn more about your business before making a judgement on it.

So if this is the case, then sure you aren’t losing out by participating in social media… but what have you got to gain?

I tend to look at the social media landscape as a bit of a laboratory for the brand of a business. Because the feedback is rapid and generally unfiltered. Admittedly the judgements that people make on your business are much more public and quickly spread in social media platforms, than in the offline world. But, importantly, this represents a fantastic opportunity to spread a positive message and get good publicity. -We all know how much more effective it is for someone else to say how good you are rather than saying it yourself!

My point is that you must be in the social media space. There is no point in avoiding it.

However unlike many, I don’t necessarily think you need to go nuts about it all. There is nothing wrong with going slow and feeling your way. Adding posts when you want to, rather than trying to keep up with some arbitrary posting schedule, will tend to mean that your genuine personality will come out, and your posts will be the most relevant and useful.

Also don’t be overwhelmed with the amount of choice out there. Start where you are comfortable. If you usee facebook regularly maybe start with a facebook page for your business, (just realise that it is different from your personal page, and try to make it all about your followers). Likewise if you are a twitter fan, or Google plus junkie, then start there. If you enjoy or have some skill in writing do a blog, or if you like being on camera start a youtube channel. If you are in a professional or B2B you might prefer to start with a LinkedIn group.

All of these are free options. But there is a price: Time.

So don’t over-extend yourself. Start slow get your rythm, and you will find that you can then add other strings to your bow as you become adept at managing them.

And remember: If customers are saying negative things about you or your product/business/service… wouldn’t it be better to know about it so you can do something to remedy it?

Let me know what you think in the comments below…