Sometimes I think people are too worried about metrics. They want to make sure everything they post to social media gets shared, re-tweeted, liked, etc, etc. Don’t get me wrong, metrics are important, but far from the only value add from social media.
For most small businesses, you aren’t going to get millions of re-tweets. It’s not going to happen. If you are a local business, like an attorney, or a plumber people aren’t going to share every morsel you put out there. People see celebrities getting 100s of thousands of shares and think this is possible. But, do you share your dishwasher repairman’s facebook posts? No, either do I.
What I try to tell my clients is that social media is great for doing one thing really well: Showing everyone your subject matter expertise (definition). So that when people go to your pages they learn something, and most of all they realize that you have some mad skills.
I get a lot of business from social media, but again it’s mainly because people like what I post. It is meant to inform, sometimes entertain, and yes sometimes sell. But that last one is important, if you are selling all the time, nobody will enjoy what you’re posting. But if they (meaning your readers) get something out of it when you come to your social media pages, then you on the right track. But, you have to stay on the right track, you have to constantly work on your posts, it is a work in motion. My posts have changed over the years, as my company has. I try to constantly improve what I do and am always looking for ways I can do better.
One area where most companies can improve, is the frequency in which they post. If you don’t post for months at a time, delete your pages. That’s right, I said delete your pages. You’re basically telling people that you are not in business, or that you do not care. When in fact, it just maybe you’re too busy to post or don’t have somebody in your company to handle that for you. To that I say, If you don’t have the time, don’t waste other people’s time.
Bottom Line: The purpose of this post is not to imply that metrics aren’t important at all. For certain types of businesses, you can get a lot more likes, shares etc. Entertainers and sports stars will always have people sharing. But if you are a typical small business, you should still utilize social media. If you need assistance contact us, anytime.
