Enough with the half-assed marketing! * Small Business Bliss

Tweet
SumoMe

Hello...is anyone home??? Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don’t put a Twitter button on your website if you’re not gonna tweet. A Facebook badge if you’re not gonna update it and share stuff. A blog if you’re not gonna, well, blog. An email sign-up form if you’re not gonna…you get the idea.

I know, things get busy. I’m not saying you have to do it everyday. But if your last post was 8 months ago, might I ask what’s going on? And quite frankly, why you even bothered? Still not sure if I’m talking to you? Check out 7 signs that you have ignored your social media plan.

Now, if you’ve set up some social media pages to practise, play around a little, and just get used to the whole thing – cool. In fact, with the social media arena getting so crowded, I encourage you to do so and claim your stake. Grab your name so that it’s yours. I just recently did that for a client on Twitter who doesn’t plan on tweeting anytime soon, but I’m sure glad I did. The company name was already taken, but we were able to get a decent variation.

So, what’s my beef?

Companies that hop off the deep end and communicate the heck out of their best laid plans. Sell tickets to the game, drop the puck and then wander back into the dressing room, leaving the players they’ve asked to join in wondering, where the heck did the coach, team captain and ref just go? They jump on the social media bandwagon because everyone else is doing it, but they have no goals, no plan and worst of all, no commitment.

Yet, they have the badges, the sign-up forms, the buttons, all over their websites, in their promo materials…everywhere. With no shame in promoting empty communications channels.

I’m begging you – don’t do it! Wait until you’re ready. And keep it to yourself until you are. Don’t bite off more than you can chew and don’t feel that you have to get on every possible social media channel under the sun. It takes time to get comfortable with new skills, so take baby steps and expand when it’s right for you.

What’s the big deal?

One word – CREDIBILITY.

A loyal customer just sent you a message and heard…nothing. Silence. Ouch.

Or you promised valuable information in exchange for an email address and you didn’t deliver.

What does that say about your business?

If you’re gonna get on the online communications train, by all means, join the party. It’s a blast engaging with your customers, friends, partners, all the awesome people you haven’t had the chance to meet yet. But whether you do it yourself or hire someone – make sure you participate in the conversation you just started.