Does social media actually work for my business or is it just a waste of time? A heavy thought with the social media craze upon us! This is a pretty easy question to answer; it works both ways. Why? It’s how you use social media to your advantage that will make it work. Goals need to be set for social media to work in your favor.
Whether doing it on your own or hiring someone (a social media coach), it is wise to have a plan. Whether you love the idea of being solo or working with a team, planning is the key to implement a good social media objective for your business. Ask yourself these questions and see the answers to help you decide if social media is a time buster or a time saver.
Does Social Media Take More Energy Than You Want It To?
It does take a lot of energy, but it’s your choice to make as to exactly how much. The shiny new applications can always lure you in—games, videos, and bantering might take up a lot of time; however, even without the social media distracting us, the workplace and any online business are a distraction too. If it is not related to your business, should you really be doing these types of things at work? So long as you keep a clear division between work and play, social media can be made to work for you instead of wasting your time away feeding cows and bugging your neighbors with philosophical debates.
How is it Possible to Merge Social Media with Work?
Realistically speaking, time needs to be managed, even with social media running rampant in the workplace. Keep track of the social medias that are working for you, give them an hour a day, and keep track. You will soon see a pattern and implement this social media with your business. It’s a goal to see what networks are working well with you and your business. Always rid yourself or assess those ones that are working or not working. If you don’t want to get rid of any, then see why they are not working.
Getting your hands on the proper tools will allow you to manage social media profiles and in the process get some good data to work with helping make social media effective for any business with just a few clicks of the button.
Scheduling important posts will allow you to stay organized and not dump on your network all the same time. Coordinating your time and participating with people through social networking allows you to be more effective and get better results. You will get a better response to your posts, plus set up good listening tools so that consumers feel as though they are actually able to make a difference in your company. You can set these up so you see the mentions, competitors’ whispers, and the market that you are working in to stay ahead of the game. Using these types of tools benefits you, so when competition is roaring you can change that result hopefully through your social media efforts.
I’m Not Such a Social Media Whiz; What Can I Do?
Creating and assigning tasks to a specific person or group to run things smoothly is imperative with any business. Delegating comes to mind when working up a schedule that works best for you and the group.
However, if this can’t be done then another solution would be to hire someone that has worked through the social media ups and downs and knows what they are doing. These professionals can bring a lot to the table and bring your business to new heights. It really is amazing to see the results when social media marketing becomes apparent and bringing in more business then you thought possible.
How On Earth Do I Know if Social Media is Working?
Tracking is the key to any business, how and where business is coming in. The professionals, through social media aspects can do this for you without comprising your relationship with customers that you have worked with in the past. Hire someone that has had the experience and shows a good track record. When someone can demonstrate or give examples of the success, it just might behoove you to consider such a move for your business.
What is the bottom line if you can’t do all this yourself?
Outsourcing might be another way to approach this. Social media gets a little addictive, but it also can be enormously helpful for your business. Putting the fun aside, plus considering that it might be unproductive at times, you get to make that choice. Does it add to your business or personal goals? Then by all means, social media is something to think about and what it is doing for you!