Stop Overthinking Social Media

When I started my business, I was under the impression that entrepreneurs and corporate business people were similar. We both want to make a profit at our product or service. While profit is true, there are different approaches for entrepreneurs and traditional business people. This is ever so apparent when it comes to social media. 

An entrepreneur approaches social media the way they approach a new business venture. They want to dive in and try it. They want to see and be seen; there’s no hiding who they are or why they are on social media. They embrace social media as a way to reach their audience. Most entrepreneurs that I have met are focused on their core business, letting a social media strategist like me take over their social media on their behalf. 

A traditional business person or corporation approaches social media as they do most other parts of their business. There are layers of approval. Social media isn’t timely; there are layers of approvals and editing required. When all is said and done, a corporation is too late with the news. 

Here are some of the reasons corporations struggle with social media:

1.      Social media is real-time. There’s no time for creating spreadsheets of the next week or month of social media posts. By the time I finish creating the spreadsheet, the information is already old news. Someone has already said what you have to say and you’re late to the party.

2.      Social media is about engagement. It’s not about sales leads or conversions to sales or anything beyond telling a story or conveying a core message about your business. If you know your target market and speak to them, you are going to create a strong following on social media.

3.      A strong following on social media translates to organic marketing. That means your following is sharing information about your company with their following. You aren’t even involved nor do you need to be.

4.      There are no micro-managers. If you want to micro-manage what I am doing on your social media, we cannot work together. It’s that simple. See #1.

5.      Stop overthinking ROI and other corporate buzzwords and get started. You have a target market and they’re waiting for you to say something on social media…or they will go to your competitor.  

6.      Let go of your passwords. If you want me to manage your social media, you have to give me the passwords. I have to be able to respond in real-time to your audience. They have to know you’re listening and responding or they will go to your competitor.

If you’re ready to get started with social media, contact me today!

Cynthia Cavoto is the Founder of Firebrand Social Media bringing social media solutions to businesses. She and her team ignite the online fire for businesses to establish and build an online audience on a variety of social media platforms. She can be reached at cynthia@firebrandsocialmedia.com.