Getting Over The Fear Of Using Social Media

Recently, I had a conversation with a customer about using social media to help promote their business. I realize now that I’ve had this same conversation with multiple customers throughout the years and the same questions come up every time because there is a general fear of what to do and expect with social media and their business.

• How can it help my business?
• How much time do I need to spend on it?
• How much is it going to cost me?
• How do I keep my personal information separate from my business?
• What do you do with negative comments?
• Where do I even start?

These are great questions because as a business owner you should be concerned about where you spend your time, money, and protecting your business. In this article I want to answer these questions to help business owners get over the fear of social media and empower them to take their marketing efforts to the next level.

How can it help my business?

Social media is a great way to help businesses build brand loyalty by having open and engaging conversations on topics that are relevant to their customers. You can use social media to build your brand by

• Staying in touch by posting updates on relevant news
• Connecting with your audience by sharing photos or videos
• Listening to your customers needs and focusing on what they want
• Gathering feedback and insights on how your business is perceived
• Being responsive and keeping your audience engaged
• Rewarding your real fans

How much time do I need to spend on it?

Most business owners don’t have the time to sit on social media sites writing post. I tell all my customers, if you can’t do it yourself, assign the task to someone in your office, a close friend, or spouse. Then once a week or month, generate a list of topic ideas for them to write post about and determine the frequency of the post. Remember it is better to focus on the quality of the post over the quantity.

How much is it going to cost me?

Besides the time you invest, it will cost you nothing, unless you are doing paid for advertisements. The cost for ads will vary based on the social media platform and the target market for the ad you create. I recommend that every business try paid for advertisements, when they are ready. Before you start paid for ads make sure your social media page is completed, that you have started posting and  you have a few people (friends, employees, customers, etc.) following your social media site.

How do I keep my personal information separate from my business?

Each social media platform works a little different and you should consult their online help for creating business pages. However, they all have the ability to keep your personal information completely separate from your business. This way you can have your personal post, on your personal account, completely separate from anything you do for your business. To learn more about creating business pages for Facebook, read Creating A Facebook Page For Your Business.

What should I do with negative comments?

A lot of business owners have reserves over this one. Social media makes it easier to post anything about anyone. Which is no different then if you aren’t using social media because anyone can say or post anything about you today. The difference is if you are using social media, you have a chance to respond and resolve any negative feedback. Once you respond, it will show anyone looking at your social media site that you care enough to react to anyone’s concerns.

Where do I even start?

The first step is usually the hardest, but this one is pretty easy. Pick one or two social media sites that you know customers use or that you want to use to connect with customers. Create your business pages and set them up with all the images, descriptions and information you need. After the page is done, start promoting your page. Send emails to customers, add a link to your website, invite friends or employees to like your page and start driving interest by posting interesting and engaging information.

I hope this article helps to answer some questions you may be asking yourself about using social media for your business. It is time to get over any fears you have and start planning on how you are going to use social media to your benefit.

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