From search engine results pages (SERPs) to Twitter hashtags in commercials, it’s hard to escape the social space. However, simply because social media has a high volume of users, doesn’t mean that your users want to interact with your brand in this medium. How do you know when you should not take a brand or company into the social space? Here are a few guidelines.
- It’s harmful. Without something valuable to offer, social media could harm your brand. If creating a social media campaign will hurt, rather than grow or even help your brand or product DO NOT do it. Consider this; would you create a Twitter account to only talk about your competition? Probably not.
- Lack of resources. Everyone thinks their brand or product needs to be in the social space because that’s where the buyers are. Even if that is the case, does your team have the resources to effectively conduct a social media campaign? Resources go beyond dollars and cents. Are your staff members trained in using social media tools to monitor conversations?
When determining if you have the resources to support a social media account, remember to consider costs outside of the social media page itself. For example, even though Google+ is free to set up, do you have the funds to update all of your marketing pieces to reflect your new Google+ account? If the answer to any of these questions is no, resist the urge to hit the ‘Create an Account’ button. - Unfocused goals. Think of social media as a way to grow awareness about your product or brand. If your goals are focused on direct response rather than awareness, your social media ROI is going to be disappointing. Ensure your business objectives are in line with your social media goals before beginning any social media campaign.
- You don’t have a plan. So, you want to start a social media campaign to do what, exactly? Engage with your public? Grow your brand? While these are amicable goals, identify key performance indicators (KPIs) before you begin any social media campaign to see the effectiveness of the campaign down the road.
- Brand FOMO (fear of missing out). The FOMO factor convinces many brands to engage in social media, even when they don’t have the resources to support social campaigns. Don’t necessarily be persuaded by the engaging, highly-Liked social media campaigns of your competitors. It takes months, even years, to grow any social media account from a handful of followers to hundreds of thousands of followers.
Have additional reasons not to engage in a social media campaign? Share them with me on Twitter @karatoon.
