When it comes to Social Media it’s a tricky time for business. There are so many opinions about how business should tackle social media. In fact you’d be hard pressed to get the same opinion from 3 different “experts”.
And that is the promise and the peril: Social Media is so new, so dynamic, so volatile it is impossible to base decisions on any kind of precedent yet there is a world of willing and waiting customers if you get it right.
There is one thing I’m sure of: Social Media will benefit a business in direct proportion to how much it is understood by that business.
Business is moving at a pace that is almost incomprehensible and the demands of individuals within business are great, so even when there is an idea that perhaps social media is important, there is little spare attention to devote to it. The temptation to hand it over to someone else is huge. And the growing number of people who are trying to make their living through social media are eager to step in.
Thus the question: To outsource or not?
The simple answer is “no”. But its never that simple and opinions do vary. My motivation is as follows:
- The more one understands anything the better it can be controlled and used in the best possible way.
- Social Media is about your whole business. A programme is not just bolted on to your existing business operation.
- A business is best understood by those that run it. Why make the public voice of your business external to yourself?
The best way to get to grips with it is to listen to it. Listen to the conversations going on about you, your brand, your business, your competition. When you’ve done that for a while you’ll know what you need to know and will move forward confidently with a plan.
By all means get some external help and direction but then own your own social media programme.
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