Is Social Media Required For Success In 2021?
Social media’s been around long enough that more and more people are starting to view it as “required” for starting or growing a business.
Multi-million dollar businesses are regularly built on social media, so there’s no denying its power as a business-building tool.
Yet multi-million (and billion) dollar businesses existed long before social media did. There are also entrepreneurs with very successful businesses who do not rely on ANY social media platforms.
So, do you need social media, or not? If you decide to utilize it, how do you go about it?
In this episode of Just The Tips, James and Dean throw down the gauntlet with regard to how necessary social media is to build a successful business. And if you choose to utilize it, tune in to hear their tips on both how to get the most out of it, and how to avoid platform pitfalls that sabotage your business instead of build it.
Nobody Cares About Your Business Card Collection
The ability to network, engage with prospects and clients, and get your products and services in front of the right eyeballs is where social media really shines. You don’t even need to leave your house to do it. But just “being on social media” is no guarantee of business success, any more than collecting and having business cards means you have a successful business. Don’t use social media for the sake of using social media. Use it strategically, so it becomes an effective business-building tool instead of a time-sucking distraction.
Is It Authentic For You?
If you build a business doing things you hate, odds are you’re going to be miserable and more susceptible to burnout. Consider this when deciding whether to utilize social media. If you love going live on Facebook, or doing Instagram stories, or cranking out YouTube videos, then those social media platforms are probably great vehicles for you. But if social media just isn’t your thing, there are other ways to reach people.
Pick The Right Platforms
It’s true that visibility is key if you’re going to use social media correctly, but don’t make the mistake of trying to master every platform you can get your hands on “just because.” Research platforms, choose the ones your customers use, and get good at those one at a time. Being a “social media influencer” doesn’t help much if the people you’re trying to influence aren’t on the platform you’re devoted to.
Be Strategic With Your Efforts
James hired LinkedIn experts to build up his LinkedIn profile. But the posts the guys he hired created weren’t cutting it. These guys were also “liking” and interacting with random things James would never like or engage with. It all built up his presence, but not in a way that attracted his ideal clients. Being everywhere “just because” will not grow your business. Remember to be strategic.
Get Your People Off The Platform
Love him or hate him, Donald Trump had a huge Twitter following…UNTIL Twitter kicked him off. Whatever your opinion on that, make no mistake: You don’t have to be as polarizing as Trump to be banned from a platform. It can and does happen to anyone. Sometimes it’s as simple as a bot misunderstanding an algorithm. Relying only on social media is risking your entire business. Use social media to bring people into YOUR world–someplace you have control over, like an email list you can download and back up.
Outline of This Episode
- Colorado kiing mishaps [2:00]
- Is social media required to be successful in business? [9:10]
- Likes don’t pay for your house [15:05]
- Where social media excels [22:01]
- What not to do on LinkedIn [30:13]
- Anyone can be de-platformed [34:06]
- The mental pitfalls of our overly plastic world [39:02]
Music for “Just The Tips” is titled, “Happy Happy Game Show” by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
