Many people see Facebook as another place to advertise. This is true, but only indirectly.
Should you be putting your time, effort and money into social media? You might be surprised, but my advice is often, “no.” Read on…
Let’s use Facebook as our social media example. “It’s free,” I hear, “what a great way to advertise!” But Facebook is more in the realm of public relations than pure advertising.
“Social media” is called that because it’s inherent nature is socializing, it’s conversing, it’s “sharing.” (Sometimes it’s sharing things you’d rather not know, but we won’t go there.) It most decidedly is not “advertising.”
How to do it badly, Part 1
Using Facebook solely for running “ads” is a mistake. It’s like turning on a TV station to find it runs only commercials. How long would it take you to change channels, and how often would you return?
How to do it badly, Part 2
Put up a Facebook page for your business, tell all your friends about it, ask them to Like it!! and then don’t put any content at all up there.
What does it take to do it right?
Time, because all social media requires engagement. If you don’t engage, it’s like having a cardboard likeness of yourself at a party: you’re not really there. And after awhile, people begin to poke fun at you.
The different social media platforms each require regular interaction, preferably multiple times per day.
Does that mean you should abandon all hope?
Nope, not at all. But if you have questions, call us now. We’ll set up a time to talk about your whole web presence, and how social media can work to bring in more business.
See our article on business tips for Facebook for a few ideas on business use of Facebook.
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