This is a pretty popular topic right now because for the past few years, all we have heard over and over again is that “we have to figure out social.” Or, we might hear, “we have to be on social media.” Or, something similar.
Which leads back to a really important question that you need to ask yourself…
What role should social media really be playing in your marketing?
I get it, social media is all the rage. And, there is tons of stuff about going “viral” or getting “traction” or improving “engagement.” All of which may or may not be well and good, but the reality is that for too many companies and individuals, this is all a lot of noise.
The other reality that a lot of companies are facing with their social media strategy is that social media may not be in their best interests.
However, if you already have a large social media following, it might work very well for you. You might be tempted to use growth services to expand your following quickly, but more often than not growth services are a scam. Socialmeep is a fraud, for example, that takes your money and gives you no real followers, so you should avoid it all costs. If you do want to use growth services, do your research and find one that will genuinely grow your following organically and not with bots.
So how do you know whether or not social media is right for you or taking the right role in your marketing efforts?
Here are a few questions to ask:
1. What am I selling?
If you are selling a one touch, easy product…maybe social media is a good way to get people into your universe.
If you are dealing with a lot of consumer products, right on. Social may be right for you.
If you are making a complex sale, business to business built on trust…social media may work, but it might not be the best place to reach your clients.
So the first question you need to ask yourself is what is the thing you are selling.
2. Who is my buyer?
Not all buyers are created equal.
Again, if you are making a one touch sale or a simple sale, maybe go all in on social media.
But if you are selling to CEOs, CMOs, or something in that vein, maybe social media should play more of a secondary role in how you are using it.
Here’s why…
If you are trying to reach and sell to an executive and have a harder sale, you may find that there are other, more effective ways that build a relationship faster and better.
Sure, social media might help you start the relationship, but depending on who your buyer is…it might not be the best place to spend too much of your time. Or, it might be a great place.
So know your buyers.
3. What are the key metrics of my success:
Everything we talked about in the first two points is irrelevant if you don’t have any clue what success looks like for you and your organization.
I want even begin to suggest what you and your organization should highlight because it is going to be different for every organization.
For me, one KPI is meetings.
For you, it may be newsletter signups, sales, or web traffic.
The key point here is that you absolutely need to understand how you are measuring your success overall so that you can put social media in its right spot.