Whether your business has been on social media for years and has a presence on every site, or if you are just starting out, setting clear goals is paramount to your success.
The absolute worst reason you should be on social media is because “everyone else is”, or “someone told me to be”. It’s true that there are a lot of businesses on social media, and also that there are a lot of people saying you should be utilizing it. However, there are also a lot of business that do a poor job at it, as well as many people that don’t know WHY your business should have a social media presence.
Here’s the truth: when done right, social media can be one of the most efficient, cost-effective forms of communication and marketing for your business. On the flipside, when done wrong, it can be a huge waste of time and money.
So you might be asking, “What is the right way to do social media?” My answer? It depends on your goals.
Yes, goals…
You know, those things your dad said were important when you were growing up. And those things that ‘experts’ have created a hundred different ways to define them (Think S.M.A.R.T. goals).
But it doesn’t need to be that difficult. If you are like most business owners, you probably have some goals for your business defined already. Whether it is revenue goals, servicing goals or quality goals, social media can help you achieve those.
Here’s the rub…
You need to use social media differently for different goals.
Stop thinking of social media as some kind of machine, like all you need is the owners manual to figure out how to run it, and if you run it right, dollars will magically appear on the other side.
Start thinking of social media as a tool. It’s a tool that can be used in many different ways. And because of its versatility, it can be very powerful. It’s a tool that can help you achieve your business’ goals.
So think about the goals for your business, then think about how social media can help you achieve your goals. You see, the goals for your business end up being your goals for social media.
For specific ways to use social media, please check out our Social Media Tip of the Day videos. With over 100 videos, you are sure to learn something.
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