Well you haven’t tried hard enough!
When we’re not working and we’re out and about, it’s sometimes hard for us members of SMR Social to take our minds off social media. We’ll often stumble across a cool shop or cafe and start creating a social media plan before we’ve even walked through the door! Naturally this often leads to us having a chat with the owners about whether they’re on social media. This often leads to some great new projects but all too often it leads to us hearing the words: “We’ve tried it but it doesn’t work.”
It’s particularly bad when we hear this in a coffee shop, because I tend to spit my coffee out! There are still far too many businesses that have an outdated mindset when it comes to marketing, and especially social media marketing. Expecting results right away, and an initial ROI should be reserved for those people who can create the latest viral products (do they really exist or is there some luck involved?).
In it for the long haul…
If you have a new or established business that’s in it for the long haul, then your marketing plan should be in it for the long haul too! You can’t just expect to post a picture of your product or and description of your service and expect to make money from it. Why should anyone buy from you instead of the other companies that offer something similar? Social Media is a chance for you to show why you are the better option! Invest money in it, invest time in it and invest ideas in it!
Re-frame your goals!
Perhaps a good way to think about social media marketing is to plan it over the course of around 5 years. The first year should be about nothing more than building your reputation and audience. The goal here isn’t to make any money from social media advertising, it’s to set yourself up to start making money when you’re happy with the results.
