Social Media - Getting A Bang For Absolutely No Bucks!

Social Media - Getting A Bang For Absolutely No Bucks!

Copyright (c) 2010 Chuck BoyceUsing social media is a lot like taking vitamins - we know we should do it, we know it will be "good for us,' but sometimes, just forcing ourselves to commit to it and take it seriously is harder than it sounds. After all, just setting up the account - like buying that bottle of vitamins - is only half the battle. For social media to work, you have to use it regularly and use it properly, just like you need to take those vitamins every day for them to do any good. After all, logging on to Facebook and playing Farmville once in awhile might be a nice break from the daily routine, but it isn't going to provide much of a boost for your business.Using social media properly takes a little bit of time and a little bit of thought. But it doesn't need to be especially difficult. By taking 10 minutes to share some free advice on Facebook, Tweet a link to a great article, or post a funny or instructive video on YouTube, you don't just market to your customers and potential customers, you form a relationship. And every time you add something of value to your day, you build on those relationships. As people - some who don't even know you - start looking forward to your posts, they'll start to remember you as someone they like, someone who they relate to, maybe even someone they can trust with their business.Yes, there are people out there who still think that Facebook is just something their teenager uses to avoid actual conversation, or, even worse, that Tweeting is something birds do. But now that we're a few years into the social media revolution, those numbers are definitely dwindling. Even people who once considered themselves "above" social media, as well as those who worried it would be too hard to master, are jumping on the bandwagon. Especially other businesspeople, who don't want to miss out on an opportunity while others are taking advantage of it.And that's another reason you should be using social media - because your competitors probably are. I realize that as an independent executive, the idea that "everyone" is doing something is not always a great selling point. After all, success in small business comes from building your own herd, not following the herd. But the social media revolution is one clear example of the masses getting it right.Finally and most importantly, social media is free. How many effective marketing tools come with a price tag of exactly zero dollars? With the exclusion of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like, I can't really think of any. Obviously, you're not going to get the same response from a 140-character Tweet than you might out of an expensive ad or TV commercial. But when it comes to getting a good return on your marketing investment, social media offers what other forms of marketing just can't - something for (almost) nothing.To me, that sounds like an offer you can't refuse.

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