Here’s an article by Todd Schnick that speaks to the statistic that 76% of small business owners have not found social media helpful to their business. Read this article and share your comments at the end.
Todd Schnick on 10/25/2009 06:13 Â 1 comment , 545 views
Mashable just reported a statistic that blew my mind: 76% of small businesses still do NOT find social media useful in generating business.
Gasp!
I have to be honest, I just don’t understand it. I will further admit, I don’t know the details of the study, but I wonder how many of those small businesses haven’t tried social media versus having tried social media without success?
It is an important distinction.
But ignoring social media, or pretending it doesn’t exist is a one-way ticket to oblivion. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon.
For those of you still stuck in the first of these two scenarios, here are 4 things to think about:
1. Marketing is changing. Deal with it. The longer you wait to start, the harder it will be to catch up with your competition.
2. If you are still afraid of giving the world a chance to speak negatively about you or your service, deal with it. The ability to talk about a business online is only going to get more pervasive.
3. The content problem. If you are afraid that you don’t have enough to say, then you just don’t understand how social media works. Content is easy. All you have to do is think. And, you know, talk to your customers once in a while.
4. And if you think that you won’t have enough time, then you are doomed. Folks, this is where marketing is going. And if you don’t make time, you will ultimately fall way too far behind. That said, it doesn’t take as much time as you might think…
So, those are the four main reasons I hear every day about why most small business people don’t believe in social media. And while I want to fault them, I will not. Why?
Because it is my responsibility, and the that of every marketing influencer. We have so far failed to help these folks understand not only the power, but the necessity, of integrating social media into your small business marketing program.
But why are we failing? Are we not telling the story enough? Is it because we can’t easily explain the ROI of social media? Is it because we don’t want to let people in on the magic formula, and keep them at a competitive disadvantage? Who knows.
But I think the reason that 76% of small business people don’t believe is that they just don’t believe yet. Maybe they think that the new marketing requires more work than the old style of marketing, where you just paid money to advertise. The new way, you have to actually engage with people. And that’s not always easy.
So I think it is a combination of us marketing influencers doing a better job of articulating this new way, and in a way that is more easily understood and actionable. AND…I think small business folks need to – with this new understanding – take an educated leap of faith and learn this new way of marketing.
In the end, we will all win. We will be better connected, serving one another in a better way, and running stronger businesses.
What do you think?
Be Intrepid.
By Steve Moore on October 29 2009, 16:40
Todd,
Add another reason- these smallbiz folks also have false expectations – start a blog and expect comments and engagement in a day or two. Open Fan Page and what to get to a magical number out of thin air. Heavens start a Ning  group and blast selling content etc.
Relationships take time- if you want a fling go for it game numbers- buy fans and blast away. If you want a true relationship it take a seduction with good info in a nice pleasing way, giving to them until it hurts.. Once you earned the right then do the “unsell” let them pre-select themselves for the next step and then move them into the sales funnel… Sales earned this way is not just a transaction, it is the beautiful beginnings of something special.
Working with MR company that is starting to look at the lifetime value of a customer and his network. Key word  being network. Brought thru SM channel, or online network relationship.
To be continued, add your own comments to this article…
Al Hanzal
Steve
http://www.thecustomercollective.com/TCC/42768
Hi Jean,
Your comments raise some very good issues. Thank you. While I have been a small business owner for 20 years and have worked with small business owners to help them get more customers, your insights suggest a couple of posts which I will make in the next week. I have an article I wrote, “Are Social Media Sites Right for Your Business” and a second post I am just starting, “Seven Ways to use Social Media Programs to Revive Your Slumping Business.”‘ Hopefully these posts can contribute to a better understanding on how to reach the small business owner so they can be taught. Thanks again for your insightful comments.
Take it from “one of THEM:” Most of the small businesses referred to here do not even really know what social media is, and a high proportion of them have not even heard the term SM. They assume Twitter, Facebook, etc is for teenagers or family photos. I was in a group of business men & women a few weeks ago, when the question came up. Only 2 out of 25 are even using FB, much less twitter or others. They are not aware of the possibilities! They don’t know how to do it, or where to even begin.
Until you can reach them, you cannot teach them. They are still using traditional media for their news, and the newspapers & radio/tv do not really explain it often enough, or clearly enough.
So please don’t blame them. They just do not know, yet. I suggest direct mail and more traditional media is needed to get your message across. I speak from my own experience, as I have only been getting involved for the past couple of months. I read an article about the @IowaTasmic event in our newspaper. So far, I have not seen any tangible results, but I am patient. And, of course, still learning. Help us!!!!