IS SOCIAL MEDIA JUST A FAD - I WOULDN'T COUNT ON IT
In 1995, Newsweek released an article titled, "Why The Web Won't Be Nirvana." This article was basically written to make the argument that the Internet was only going to be a fad. Paragraph after paragraph, it literally mocks the thought of being able to take a computer to the beach, purchasing items via the internet, or even having newspapers or books replaced with digital versions. Author of the article, Clifford Stoll, made it very clear this would soon fade out, and the Internet would only be a fad. Two decades later, here we are again. The term, "fad," is being thrown around once more, and guess what...they were wrong again.
It's funny how wrong Clifford, and many others, were about the Internet and its possibilities. Nearly each resource or tool he said could never come from the internet, has flourished on the internet. As the importance of Social Media has continued to grow more and more important in the workplace, skepticism still remains. Owners of companies, multi-millionaires even, feel that Social Media is simply a fad and don't see the importance of its resources.
Will some companies still operate and profit enormously without Social Media? Yes, absolutely. But wouldn't you rather pass out millions of business cards instead of thousands just to see what happens? Oh, and the business cards are FREE by the way. Do the math.
Don't get me wrong, some companies and industries can utilize Social Media and all of its capabilities much more than others. Online Retail, Restaurants, really anything that can be sold and purchased by the consumer can benefit as much as anyone. Your store or restaurant just went from being at this specific location down the street to everyone's pocket. You think that might help their profits a little? I'm not saying go out and sign up for ten Social Media platforms over night. No, no, no. Find the right Social Media platforms that fit your business, your customer, your competitors, and your industry.
Change can be scary for anybody. Especially changing something, that up to this point, has done just fine and then some. Why fix something that isn't broken, right? I totally understand that argument. But don't make this decision as you would what television provider to use, as if you're comparing satellite to cable. This is not that sort of change. This is modernizing your business and giving it an upgrade for the future. Social Media is growing and going to continue to growing for years to come whether we like it or not.
HERE ARE SOME SIMPLE TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU TRANSITION TO SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WORKPLACE -
1.) Do your research - Not all Social Media is the right fit for you or your business. There are plenty of resources and helpful tips on what to use and what not. Try them out! The only real way to see the full capabilities of certain Social Media platforms and whether or not it can help your business or marketing is to see for yourself.
2.) Are my competitors using Social Media - Just because you may not see your competitors blowing Twitter up daily, doesn't mean you shouldn't be using Social Media. Maybe they are afraid of change as well. Maybe they aren't using it accurately. Do not assume your competitors are not on Social Media. See what's being said about them, it may help.
3.) Start with a profile - Nine times out of ten, you will normally have to at least start with some sort of Profile or User Account. Take your time... Rome wasn't built in a day, just like you won't have a million followers after a week. Be patient.
4.) Use a metrics tool - For you gym rats out there, you can appreciate this analogy. It's great to go to the gym and stay fit, but don't you tend to work a little harder when you see yourself in front of a mirror? You can try this and that all day long, but i'ts nice to see what is working and what is not. There are countless Social Media Metrics Tools online, most of the time free. Use one.
5.) What do you want from Social Media - Just because you create a flashy profile picture, that doesn't mean stop there. Social Media accounts can even hurt a company if they are managed poorly. It represents lack of organization and leaves a bad taste in consumers mouth. Know exactly what you want to get out of Social Media, how you are going to achieve those goals, and get to work!
Billions of people are using Social Media. No, not millions. Billions. A good fraction of the people on this planet not only use Social Media, but more than one platform of Social Media in most cases. If you don't like it or see it really having a significant impact on your business, that's fine. But do not turn your head away from it. If someone is talking about you, wouldn't you want to hear what they had to say? Even if you do not necessarily use Social Media every minute of everyday, you must have some sort of presence. Customer feedback, industry news, competitor updates, all just a tip of the ice berg as far as the resources Social Media can provide in the workplace. So if Social Media is a "fad," we might want to get used to this trend, it may be around for a while.
It's funny how wrong Clifford, and many others, were about the Internet and its possibilities. Nearly each resource or tool he said could never come from the internet, has flourished on the internet. As the importance of Social Media has continued to grow more and more important in the workplace, skepticism still remains. Owners of companies, multi-millionaires even, feel that Social Media is simply a fad and don't see the importance of its resources.
Will some companies still operate and profit enormously without Social Media? Yes, absolutely. But wouldn't you rather pass out millions of business cards instead of thousands just to see what happens? Oh, and the business cards are FREE by the way. Do the math.
Don't get me wrong, some companies and industries can utilize Social Media and all of its capabilities much more than others. Online Retail, Restaurants, really anything that can be sold and purchased by the consumer can benefit as much as anyone. Your store or restaurant just went from being at this specific location down the street to everyone's pocket. You think that might help their profits a little? I'm not saying go out and sign up for ten Social Media platforms over night. No, no, no. Find the right Social Media platforms that fit your business, your customer, your competitors, and your industry.
Change can be scary for anybody. Especially changing something, that up to this point, has done just fine and then some. Why fix something that isn't broken, right? I totally understand that argument. But don't make this decision as you would what television provider to use, as if you're comparing satellite to cable. This is not that sort of change. This is modernizing your business and giving it an upgrade for the future. Social Media is growing and going to continue to growing for years to come whether we like it or not.
HERE ARE SOME SIMPLE TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU TRANSITION TO SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WORKPLACE -
1.) Do your research - Not all Social Media is the right fit for you or your business. There are plenty of resources and helpful tips on what to use and what not. Try them out! The only real way to see the full capabilities of certain Social Media platforms and whether or not it can help your business or marketing is to see for yourself.
2.) Are my competitors using Social Media - Just because you may not see your competitors blowing Twitter up daily, doesn't mean you shouldn't be using Social Media. Maybe they are afraid of change as well. Maybe they aren't using it accurately. Do not assume your competitors are not on Social Media. See what's being said about them, it may help.
3.) Start with a profile - Nine times out of ten, you will normally have to at least start with some sort of Profile or User Account. Take your time... Rome wasn't built in a day, just like you won't have a million followers after a week. Be patient.
4.) Use a metrics tool - For you gym rats out there, you can appreciate this analogy. It's great to go to the gym and stay fit, but don't you tend to work a little harder when you see yourself in front of a mirror? You can try this and that all day long, but i'ts nice to see what is working and what is not. There are countless Social Media Metrics Tools online, most of the time free. Use one.
5.) What do you want from Social Media - Just because you create a flashy profile picture, that doesn't mean stop there. Social Media accounts can even hurt a company if they are managed poorly. It represents lack of organization and leaves a bad taste in consumers mouth. Know exactly what you want to get out of Social Media, how you are going to achieve those goals, and get to work!
Billions of people are using Social Media. No, not millions. Billions. A good fraction of the people on this planet not only use Social Media, but more than one platform of Social Media in most cases. If you don't like it or see it really having a significant impact on your business, that's fine. But do not turn your head away from it. If someone is talking about you, wouldn't you want to hear what they had to say? Even if you do not necessarily use Social Media every minute of everyday, you must have some sort of presence. Customer feedback, industry news, competitor updates, all just a tip of the ice berg as far as the resources Social Media can provide in the workplace. So if Social Media is a "fad," we might want to get used to this trend, it may be around for a while.
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