Spotlight on Social Media
Beware Social Media
You might wonder why I would write an article extolling the dangers of social media marketing, when social media marketing is not only an important part of our own marketing plan, but it is one of the services we offer our clients. It would be more likely for me to extol the value of social media marketing and convince you it's the ultimate marketing tool.
Well, if you read my articles with any frequency then you know I do believe in online marketing. Your clients and potential clients are online a portion of every day and it is a great place to be in touch with them. It you sell impulse items like widgets, t-shirts and coffee mugs, or commodity items like electronics and office supplies, then perhaps you'll be fine with online-focused marketing. If you sell services like real estate, financial planning, loans, title, insurance and coaching, then digital marketing can be a trap.
The Tyranny of Busyness
Selling is something I have done all my life - from dresses at Lord and Taylor to homes on the Central Coast of California, with some office equipment thrown in for the fun of it. I sold copiers by stomping up and down the street and got thrown out of offices on a regular basis. As a real estate agent I've paid for pages and pages of advertising. To this day, I depend on connecting with potential clients to grow Spot On Images.
With decades of selling experience, I know what it takes, but I also know all the pitfalls. Being too busy is one of the most deadly. Prioritizing what needs to be done and keeping the main thing the main thing is critical. Social media is not the main thing, even if it is an important thing.
Here's the Trap
Good social media takes time. It takes time every day whether you post anything or not, because engagement is even more important than posting. However, real engagement, face-to-face, voice-to-voice, personal-email and personal-text will always outweigh anything on social media. Social media is really only supposed to be a rope to tie your personal encounters together into a relationship.
Somebody can be your best buddy on social media. They can live in your neighborhood. They can go to your church. Your kid may play sports with their kids. Then suddenly you discover a for sale sign in the yard and it doesn't have your name on it. Chances are you've been so busy posting great social media you missed out on what was real.
Good social media takes time, but all the time it takes doesn't have to be your time. There are tools you can use to automate the process or you can hire someone like me to post regularly for you. While you focus on keeping the real relationships alive, social media can keep you top of mind until the next real encounter.
Let's talk about your social media marketing plan and find out if there are ways I can help you turn social media into a tool, instead of a trap.