3 reasons NOT to use social media

Question: What do you want your social media strategy to achieve?

When I ask prospective customers, I’m usually met with a blank look – after all, they’ve been told they need to use social media to sell their products or services, and now they’re doing something about it, aren’t they?

Well, no in my opinion – here are 3 reasons NOT to use social media.

No – social media is not about selling in the short-term, it’s about engaging with a view to building long-term relationships. And thence sales. So it’s not a quick win.

No – half-hearted social media smacks more of desperation than no social media at all. 2 year-old blogs, and the occasional tweet of ‘Merry Christmas’ do not fill me with inspiration about a company’s ability to listen and respond to its customers.

N0 – there is a limited (at best) correlation between social media numbers (likes, followers..etc) and social media profitability. Sure, you can engage companies to build up your numbers, but what’s the point of window dressing if there’s nothing behind the facade?

This may all sound rather counter-intuitive – after all, I’m looking to promote myself on the self-same media aren’t I?

My response (to my own question) is that I write blogs and newsletters for my clients so it’s consistent with my brand strategy as well as something I genuinely enjoy.

Hence, social media is a long-term relationship for me. The question is, are you still going through the dating phase?