“Do I really need ANY social media to make this business a success”? This was a question I was asked by a client recently. It was on the back on them being a little tired of the lack of progress that was seemingly being made and the conclusion that for the time it takes, the return in value just isn’t worth it. I get it!

As a marketing bod and living in the digital age, to me, a business having a presence on social media is as normal as having a bank account, and just as important, if not more important in fact (ok not more, but just making the point) The question was, how could I convey this to not sound like I was trying to sell the idea, I had to explain it in a way that it was a decision they could fairly and honestly square away with themselves and see it made huge business sense to embrace social media. After much chat and coffee, of course, we came up with some cracking analogies, who doesn’t love an analogy by the way?

Here are 5 of the main points I came up with, using beasts, boarded up pubs and dog loyalty to get my point across, as you do, and to clearly express why social media is a must for your business. It’s definitely worthy of 5 minutes of your time, and you don’t even have to use the M25 to hear this (all will become clear).

1. Social media is the modern day TV channel or radio show (think podcast) it allows your business the opportunity to advertise but at a fraction of the cost of TV or radio, and is infinitely better than printed media, so from a value perspective, it’s not even close, it’s totally unrivalled. You can produce amazing content for free, you don’t have to get Spielberg in to wave his magic clapper board, if you have moderate skills, a smart phone, and the time, then you can be Spielberg for an hour or two. Of course, if you don’t have the time or inclination to do that, you can pay for content to be produced and posted for you, but it is still somewhat short of the $50m blockbuster that Universal want making. YES! to SM
2. Social media allows you to connect directly with decision makers. When you think about TV or radio, you are advertising with a broad brush, hence why most advertisers are offering products and services that are mass consumer lead, meaning anyone from 6 to 96 might be interested. If you sell buttons then you want a very specific audience, and social media allows you to reach people who buy buttons, and further more, it allows you to reach them at work and at home and on their personal device. So, what about advertising in the well known magazine, Buttons Weekly? Well you can, but the honest answer is, print advertising is dying along with peoples willingness to read it. If it’s not digital, not available to read on my phone when the adverts are on TV (how ironic is that btw?) then people rarely consume printed advertising anymore. Another resounding YES! to SM.
3. A well known saying in sales is, know your customer. I remember the days before the digital age and knowing your customer to me, as a young travelling salesman, with a pager, an A-Z map and no air con or power steering (yes honestly, that was my reality, people don’t know they’re born nowadays!) was making sure you knew the job they did, the influence they had in ordering and, if you got really lucky, a visit to their office may have disclosed a favourite football team or if they loved fly fishing. Today, from the comfort of my favourite chair, coffee in hand, and a spare 15 minutes, I can find out about their family, where they went on holiday and how their recent colonoscopy went, not to mention where they work, for how long and their full employment history. Imagine being clever enough to use all this to gain a sales advantage on your competitors, and not having to sit on the M25 melting in traffic, only to find out they are off sick today and no one told you. YES to SM (no to the M25)
4. Of course, the opposite is also true. You are almost certainly going to be checked out the very same way by those who are thinking they may want to do business with you. Recent surveys now suggest that over 90% of people are researched on line before a first meeting even takes place. How does that make you feel? Well, if you lead a law abiding life, you have reputable business with an enviable reputation, you should feel good about that. Ok, charlatans do exist on social platforms, those who claim to be something they are not, but in truth, it’s just a reflection of life. Before social, charlatans existed, they just presented themselves in a different way. Not quite as clear cut maybe, but on balance still a YES!to SM
5. When you decide social media is crucial for your business, many don’t realise that the moment you click to confirm the sign up process is moment you release the beast. And it’s a beast that needs feeding, and it’s always hungry! Do not go into social media thinking it will look after itself, it won’t. There is nothing worse than seeing an account for a business that has been opened to then find it has zero content, or even worse, it was once used but now lays dormant. We all have that favourite pub we once used on a regular basis, full of life, meeting friends, exchanging stories and creating memories, but now we drive past and the windows are boarded up and the car park is over grown with weeds, a sad sight indeed. Don’t let that social media platform be your boarded up favourite pub, keep it alive with stories and events. Feed the beast and look after it, and in return it will look after you, like a loyal dog. Analogies on fire! YES! to SM (big time)

So, when the same question is posed to me in future conversations over a cracking cappuccino, I will be in no doubt that I want my favourite pub to survive, it’s a focal point to my community, a bit like your business is to your customers. And, as you got to this point, here is some free advice buried in this article as a treat. Build a community around your business if you don’t have one already.  Communities work together for the good of everyone. Back to analogies… I feed my dog the food he loves and he stays loyal, feed your social channels the same way so your customers consume interesting and helpful information and hey presto, loyalty is being built. It may not be obvious on a daily basis, but it will work.  If want to get know your customers, because you want to connect with them on a level beyond work, a human level if you will, then don’t sit on the M25 to do so, feed them via the device in their pocket.  If you want social media to generate you that only comes as a consequence of being a great landlord, dog owner and an interesting and honest human being. Maybe being all those things is too hard and why people shy away from social media? Hmmm, that thought just crossed my mind?

It’s called SOCIAL media for a reason, the clues in the name, so be sociable and let nature takes its course, embrace the social! And never forget, dogs are the best, and coffee. Coffee and Dogs!