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I admit that I’ve not embraced the whole social media scene as much as I perhaps should have. To be honest, since it’s all become mainstream I’ve dipped in and out of it, blown a bit hot and cold with it, and all in all, probably not benefitted from it as much as I should.
I know I’m not the only one, but why do I struggle with it? Twitter and Facebook are the sites I have the most difficulty with. I’ve thought about it a lot and come to the following conclusion:
1. I’ve never been the life and soul of the party, probably more of an introvert who’d rather talk to just a few people in the room!
2. When I log onto some of these sites (particularly Twitter), I find it all rather overwhelming. There’s so many people participating and so much going on that my mind goes blank, I don’t know what to say, so I just switch it off!
3. It’s time consuming. I know that in order to make it work you need to participate much of the time,so perhaps I need to think about how I can fit it into my day without wasting time on it.
4. I find Facebook’s interface not very user friendly and by the time I’ve worked out how to use some of the options, I’ve already given up!
5. I guess I’m quite a private person so don’t want to tell all and sundry what I’m up to.
6. I’m better at face to face networking and discussions, not so good at interacting with people online (this is a bit odd though as I spend all day in front of my computer!).
7. I worry that people will think I don’t know what I’m talking about, or that I’m a fake!
Having said the above, I’m much better at blogging, which I quite enjoy, although again, probably don’t participate and comment on other blogs as much as I should. I actually prefer LinkedIn to Twitter and Facebook as most people I connect with there I know in person.
I admire people who do get on with these social media tools, particularly Twitter, and have learnt a lot from them (see @LouiseBJ, @Eggboxrobin, @FrancoiseM). But I worry that my lack of interaction on sites such as Twitter and Facebook may cause people to think that I’m uninterested in other people or self-promotional (I do feed this blog into my Twitter account, so it updates automatically when we post).
So what advice would you give to someone who’s struggling with social media, especially Twitter and Facebook? Any advice is gratefully received!
Hi Sam, loved your very honest and candid comments about soc media. Soc media is so widely talked about – hyped even? – with a raft of new self proclaimed experts popping up every day, that it takes a brave person to publicly announce they have some reservations about how best to use it.
I think your comments are well made and particularly valid as they not only serve as a useful counter balance to all the hype, they also demonstrate that Soc Media as a business tool has to fit comfortably with you as an individual and your business. When you promote your brand you have to use mediums that feel right and comfortable for you otherwise you will not appear genuine.
Soc media can be used as a great business tool but only in context of your business, customers, expertise and resources. Whilst Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook are all free to access, they are not free to use. As a solopreneur or small business your time is one of your most precious resources and by investing time in these tools you are unable to work on other things – this is an opportunity cost to your business. So you need to ensure your chosen Soc Media tools are not only appropriate but are also having the desired effect. Focus on what is right for you and reaching out to your customers – wishing you lots of luck.
Hi Majella
Thanks for your comment. I think the hype around social media does make people uncomfortable as they feel pushed to use it even though normally they would never put their thoughts out publicly as many people do now. The other pressure is sounding confident and interesting – that can be hard as most people aren’t used to ‘tooting their own horn’! You’re spot on about the time factor, that although these tools are free to use, they’re not free in time which can easily be whittled away when perhaps the time should be spent on other more productive activities! Thanks for the advice and will let you know how I get on!
Hi Sam, Majella commented on a blog I had written about Social Media that tied in well to yours. http://www.birdsontheblog.co.uk/social-media-%E2%80%93-who%E2%80%99s-doing-it/
And what I have said on there is that you have to be in your comfort zone when using Social Media and work out what is best for you and your business so you can use the tools effectively. I have found business through Twitter, I get a lot of recommendations through facebook and have got back in contact with ex colleagues who I’ve then gone on to work with in my own business through Linkedin. I also blog which raises my profile and forces me to keep up to date with what is going on in my industry, a lot of which I find out through Twitter, so for me social media means that I can grow my business in ways I wouldn’t have previously, but I am comfortable with it and have seen it working for me. I have, however, spent a lot of time on it so I do have to weigh up the ROI but so far so good.
Good luck with your social media and don’t force yourself down a route that might not be for you, there are so many ways to promote you and your business and social media is just a big buzz word right now that people have jumped on an everyone’s talking about but it doesn’t mean you have to do it all.
Hi Emily, thanks for your very useful comments. You’re right that it is so important to work out which marketing activities are resulting in the best return and it is very easy to while away the time on Twitter and Facebook and not see much return from it! Particularly when there are so many other marketing activities that also need to be done. I think if I can plan what I want from social media more and work out how much time to spend on it, I may find that it works better for me.