Does Your Business Really Need Social Media?
As a business owner, you understand the importance of online marketing. In 2017, 54% of people searched for a local business at least once a month. It’s safe to say that at least some percentage of your target audience is using the internet to find you. But what about social media? It’s been drilled into your head that your business should have at least one social media account. Is social media right for every business?
Does Your Business Really Need Social Media?
It’s true that most businesses can benefit from being active on social media, but most is not all. There’s an exception to every rule, and there are some businesses that just don’t see a return on their time investment with Facebook, Twitter and the like.
The vast majority of businesses, when done properly, will see increased traffic and sales from social media use, but there are some instances when it’s just not necessary.
How do you know if social media is right for your business? Ask yourself the following questions.
Is Your Target Audience on Social Media?
Does your target audience even use social media? If not, you may be wasting your time creating accounts and actively posting updates.
If your target audience is on social media, which platforms are they using? Maybe potential customers or clients only frequent one or two networks. Knowing where your target audience is will allow you to focus your time and resources in the right places.
A good example of this is the law firm Moore and Hedges. The firm, which specializes in Social Security disability and veteran’s benefits, only has a Facebook account. Why? Because that’s the preferred social network of their target audience. According to Hootsuite, Facebook is most popular with people aged 25-49.
You’ll need to do some research to determine if your target audience is using social media, but if they aren’t, you may not need to invest as much time and resources into social media marketing.
Do You Have Something to Say?
Virtually every business in every industry can find something to say on social media. Whether it’s an educational video, engaging article or an update on what your office is up to, nearly every business can find content to publish on social media platforms.
But will you eventually run out of content ideas? If you don’t think you’ll have something new and interesting to say weeks or months from now, you may not want to bother creating an account.
Do You Have the Time and Patience?
Some business owners just don’t have the time and patience to create social media accounts and post actively on them. If you think you’ll fall into this category, it may just be a waste of time to create accounts that you’ll never use.
If you answered “no” to all three of these questions, you may just assume that you should ditch social media altogether. If your target audience isn’t using social media, you might be right. But if you just don’t have the time or don’t know what to say, there is a solution: social media management. If your budget allows, you can hire someone to manage your accounts so that you can still get the traffic and sales benefits without having to invest your personal time.