In my effort to simplify social media within franchising, I have explored how other small businesses have embraced social media, and if they haven’t, what is holding them back. The comments pertaining to holding back are quite interesting. I’ve listed some below in order that our readers may see how others are addressing their concerns about using social media within the business world. Some individuals who work with clients expressing similar concerns about social media have also provided advice that I believe our readers may find useful. Upon reviewing these answers, comments and suggestions, please let me know some of your own concerns, as well as any comments or questions you may have.

Hesitant about Twitter

“Paul.. while I use Social Media sites for professional reasons such as Linkedin, and Blogger, I am hesitant about Twitter. I have been doing a lot of personal research on it, and getting opinions, and I’m on the fence.. I could go either way. My main fears with Twitter are being overwhelmed with spam, and followed by people who have nothing to say.”

I’m not a very good writer…

“Great question. When I listen to my clients and their concerns about using social media, particularly blogging & Twitter, one of the things I frequently hear is this: “I don’t know what to write; I’m not a very good writer; what if no one likes what I have to say?” etc. etc. I simply encourage them to jump in and find their voice as they go along, get more confident and build their brand. I totally get their concerns, though, as I think back to the first blog post I ever wrote, circa first quarter 2006 — I think I must have spent four or five hours (or more) trying to get it “just right.” Now I don’t fret, quite so much! Also, one of the other things I say to encourage clients to blog or use Twitter, is to let them know they have so much talent / knowledge to share and it is simply another way of giving back what they’ve been given.”

Misconceptions about Social Media

“Cost. A misconception about social media is that is a free or low cost alternative. But typing and building relationships takes time – people time – and time costs money. If you have no marketing budget, then you have no budget to pay someone (or yourself) to do the social media legwork. Social media, like all marketing efforts, shouldn’t been selected because it’s the cheap choice, but because it is the right strategic choice. With limited data to support real ROI impact of social media, particularly for B2B products and services, it makes it very difficult for a small business to take it seriously (considering small business’s limited budgets) over traditional direct sales and marketing activities.”

Market Your Way out of the Recession

“Some good answers here. Nothing is free these days, but when money is tight, businesses need to resist the easy way and stop marketing. We all know the adage about the need to market one’s way out of a recession. When the economy is tight, businesses need to think outside the box and look at innovative ways to market their business in the most cost-effective way, and preferably in a way that can be tracked. You don’t need to spend a massive amount of time, but 20 minutes a day looking after a business page on Facebook, adding photos that might attract fans and get your message across, is just another way of increasing your exposure.

I agree that, as a B2B tool, Twitter has not yet proved its worth, but it is another way of driving traffic to your website which, along with blogs, articles and other SEO methods, will all help to improve your organic search engine placement. I use it increasingly to gather information that I can pass on to clients (that enhances my reputation as someone who has an understanding of emerging trends and, very importantly, changes in consumer behavior). As a B2C tool, Twitter is proving to be very successful, and you don’t need to be an expert in copywriting. You just need to be yourself.”

Identifying, Defining & Organizing = Social Media Power

“For myself, spamming and just nonsensical chatter in a day already full of meetings, emails, contracts, books, blogs was overwhelming an already busy schedule. At some point, too much data had converted powerful information into just symbols on a page that I constantly had to decipher through to reach answers and wisdom. After taking time to identify and categorize the various social media sites and ultimately define the purpose each could serve in my personal and professional life, I have come to understand the power at my fingertips to use this as a tool to engage and connect with others.”

Does Social Media really work?

“For most of my clients and businesses that I follow, it seems like it is the lack of budget and resources. Social media is a time-consuming exercise and many executives doubt its profitability. So, really, the biggest hold back is the lack of tracking to prove that social media works.”

Apprehension & Confusion

“The clients that I serve are apprehensive about investing the time, energy and effort into social media. There is a lot of confusion as to how to monetize and capitalize using the social media. I also find that if they are baby boomers they may not be computer/tech savvy which also results in paralysis. There are so many things they are already doing…they just want to know that they can maximize and not waste time which may not bring in results.”

A Good Start… But Questions Remain

“While I use social media to advance our business, I believe that most people who do not use it are either not educated on it or don’t believe they have time to deal with it or don’t believe their clientele use it to purchase. I was on the fence about doing it myself as most of our clients are property managers and claims adjustors. While some of them have Facebook and LinkedIn, they don’t use it as much as other industries would.

I know that my father’s elevator company does not use social media to promote their business (may be shortsighted), but they do not believe that their customer base uses these tools to find business. I also fought with this notion. However, I decided to use these tools, if for nothing else than helping our company with search engine optimization. You can link these sites to your company’s site and this will increase your credibility with Google and the like. Twitter is something that I just started and really need to learn more about. It only really helps you if you get a lot of followers (clients/potential clients). Otherwise, you are really talking to yourself and not making good use of your time.

Blogging is a great way to go as long as you stay on top of it. If you don’t consistently post a blog with good and pertinent content, it does you no good. It is a great tool to get your thoughts and ideas to others as well as increase search engine optimization. I believe that almost all businesses should use social media to advance their business, but most that don’t use them either don’t have the proper education about these tools, time to use them, or don’t believe it will increase business.”

Social Media is not a panacea… It is a tool!

“Just over 3.5 years ago I began implementing “Social Media Marketing” techniques within my own firm. I wanted to ensure that I could make it work for our needs before we jumped in and recommended these strategies for our clients.

There is a plethora of information from many sources that assisted us…too many to mention.

We worked it hard. From our work in Social Media Marketing, we began to acquire clients from around the world. We acquired start-ups and helped place their wares in STAPLES and H-E-B Grocery Company. White Mountain Marketing achieved international recognition, and developed our Social strategies to the point that a substantial portion of our business (90%) is generated from these strategies.

From these successes, we created the position that one can not have ‘a’ strategy for a company. We believe that many strategies within the curtain of “Social Marketing” to penetrate several levels of clientele makes the most sense. Companies need exposure at every level, in order to achieve maximum positioning.

Of course, “Social Media Marketing” is just one component of well-drafted marketing strategies. It is not a panacea. It is a tool – a very strong tool that can help turn companies around, when used properly.

Great questions, Paul. There is a lot to think about when creating and implementing any tactics and strategies in business and marketing plans. Don’t jump on any band wagon…walk around and make certain the wheels are on tight and the horses are strong. Always test the water.”

Please share your thoughts, comments and questions below…