How many times has a thought crossed your mind that you don’t stand a chance when it comes to social media and big businesses that have lots of advertising money and the ability to hire professionals?
How many times have you felt discouraged, just because, thinking you will never understand how communicate on social media?
I have experienced first hand how people approach social media in big companies as well as in micro businesses. But before I go into it, I’ll ask you to stop looking at social media as something out there that you need to learn and conquer, start looking at is as a cultural shift, as a business shift, as space for progress…
Adopting social media really depends upon changing or creating a specific company culture. When you’re a micro business, it’s easier to create and achieve success faster then big companies can. It doesn’t matter whether they have the money to invest in it, they are usually not prone to taking risks, changing the way they do business, adopting new technologies and hiring new staff just for the sake of experiment.
Getting into social media as a business, big or small, demands from everyone in the company to have an understanding of what social media is all about, what can be achieved and why is communication through it so important and powerful. Everyone needs to understand that you don’t use it because it’s new, because some people talk about it every day and because it will supposedly do good for your business. They need to understand and embrace a new client approach.
Facebook and twitter are not about facebook and twitter. They are only allowing you to talk to your clients one on one, to understand them, to make them feel important and taken care of, to resolve problems and to build long lasting and loyal relationships. So who cares about big budgets and investments… when you can be better, faster and create a place for your business in the market. That will cost you time, consistency and some determination. But that is nothing in comparison to what you will get in return if you really stick to it and take it seriously. And you don’t need to hire anyone new, you can do it on your own.
How big companies perceive social media and what micro businesses know
The perception of facebook and twitter in big, opposed to small, companies is completely different. While big companies are trying to find a way to fit their presence on social media into a number of hours they have to spend working on that particular project, deal will all the legal issues they think they have, hire someone who will take care of “that part of the job”, micro businesses understand from the very beginning that they have to talk to their followers. Maybe they don’t know how to approach them just yet, but they do know where to find information, how to understand the potencial of social media for business and find someone who will teach them how to do it.
Big businesses are usually still looking at this as extra work they have to get done, and without putting much effort into it, they will bury their followers in offers which will drive them away. But hey, they thought they were getting some job done in social media. Or should I say marketing? It happens that they forget to check their profiles for days and never answer their fans. They are big, aren’t they; so why would they answer to every little person on twitter or facebook.
No one is innocent, though…
We all make mistakes
Common mistakes micro businesses make are that they will sometimes start talking to a whole group or think that they have to have something significant going on all the time to be able to keep their fans entertained, so they’ll keep quiet rather then talking to them. Some will even become discouraged after a while, but most of you will stay and slowly work on your mistakes and become better and better. Just like you would if you were making those friendships in person.
Who has an advantage?
I’m not saying that micro businesses have it easy, if you drew that conclusion, or that it’s the other way around, but I do want to say that micro businesses potencially have an advantage. While big businesses are resolving certain issues regarding communication, culture and making a decision of going after something that today can’t even be called a “wave of social media” anymore, inside of their companies, you can firmly march ahead.
Micros are faster and more agile… making that kind of a decision will cost you a few hours of discussion one afternoon, and all you need to do to be successful in your social media efforts is to instill those values from the begining, be guided in your business and your conversations by it.
Small businesses will easily understand why you need to say “thank you” to your customers, why you need to talk to each and every one of them and show you’re interested in them. In fact, that is the only logical and acceptable approach. Micro businesses are built by creating intimate relationships with customers and through adopting a different kind oflifestyle. They will always find it easier to answer a question they get on twitter and facebook, they will accept a two way conversation and not have doubts any about it.
Take the Marketing out of the Social Media
But when it comes to getting on twitter or facebook in the first place, don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s not about the social network; that’s only a tool, much like a phone or a computer. I know, not everyone comes web 2.0 ready…but you’re missing the point anyway if you’re thinking that way. You can learn to use it, just like you did anything else. The point is to go where your people are, where they talk and hang out. Now you can reach anyone, anywhere. And you don’t need to ask permission, you won’t appear rude if you start a converation or try to help someone you don’t know.
If you don’t take this opportunity, someone else will and they will make those people that are waiting and searching out there their fans and customers. And that’s fair enough.
You can always build your presence later, but when do you expect this later to be?!
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Talk to me, what are your doubts or challenges about social media?
photo courtesy wili_hybrid
