Image: Elena Koycheva
All We Need Is Likes. Or Do We??
I was recently invited to participate in a podcast interview that began as a round table discussion amongst established and well-experienced designers and entrepreneurs. The topics included how they deliver their business, manage the business in today's world, brick and mortar vs online, online customers vs referrals, and various "then and now" type topics.
The question of social media came up. Is it necessary? The group (non-Millenial) said that the bit of social media they were involved in did not have a big emphasis on the amount of business they received. One person remarked that it is a popularity contest. Another remarked that the posts people make about their achievements may not be true. Then a discussion of copyright came up and it was developing into an overall ..Why bother? conversation.
But still....
Social Media is clearly a powerful tool as the Influencer market is expected to draw in $8 billion dollars in business this year as reported in Business Insider. And it's expected to grow to $15 billion dollars by 2022. The powerful Influencer market is a product of the interaction on the platform that the followers feel they trust and know the influencer.
Anyone who keeps even a snippet of a social media profile going can imagine the amount of time and effort an influencer puts into converting "likes" into dollars from their social media posts. Frankly, this group and most service-oriented business people are not interested in that kind of commitment. But for the companies that can pay an influencer to mention their product?? That can take a company from obscurity to celebrity status practically overnight.
This group was not even of that level and didn't care to be. Their business resulted mainly in referrals from having established businesses. For them, social media seemed to be a waste of time. The group was almost unanimous on the needless effort of posting on social media - for their particular business.
Then why do it??
I see it as necessary. It's the "unmarketing" marketing that has replaced the old way of doing things. It builds brand awareness by not blatantly advertising. It validates the human side of the business and interacts with its followers. It establishes brand awareness which might not result in actual sales (although it does indeed create leads) and connects to its audience. The pay off is "Likes" and familiarity with the business.
I agreed with the group. It is a huge time commitment and for what? I stated the above comments and also that the "Likes" are the digital currency for their business. It validates the business's existence in this world of posts, blogs, images, and chatter. It creates a presence that is up to date with the modern business models. That alone says something.
No, it may not bring actual measurable sales but it establishes your work, business or profile in their eyes and creates a digital relationship. Then, when you have a new project, are being reviewed for a project, are asked to speak as an expert, be interviewed or are in print, there is a place to connect and know more. If a new client wants to get an idea of your work or business, it provides that to them. Yes, there are websites and portfolios - but again, this is the human side of the business. The ROI is nuanced in the investment of creating relationships.
Unmarketing marketing. It is the way to connect to your audience and validate your brand.
Many at this group and a few that I work with (Gen X)would rather not be on social media at all but realize they need to do ....something. What I hear often is that it is just too overwhelming.
"How do you find the time?" They say. Many I speak or work with are micro-entrepreneurs and are juggling quite a bit already with business and life. I use the advice I received while at a seminar:
Focus on one or two platforms.
Stay consistent.
Engage with the audience.
How can you streamline this?? Here are some Tools:
You can post right from IG, FB and Twitter from your IG platform. That is enough for many. However, if you want to schedule the posts in advance, there are apps that are useful.Hootsuite -Free but you do have to walk the post for IG through. They can be scheduled in advance and an alert is sent when it is time to post.
I am also looking at Later as an option. It's not registering yet as a favorite but you can sign up for free and it has a nice interface. It may be worth investigating.
Both offer blogs that help you to build traffic and learn more about social media.
To create images and memes:
I like to use Over App and subscribe to get access to copyright-free images and can design visual posts.
I realize I must commit some time to this. However, I do my best to not fall down the social media "rabbit hole" and spend too much time on it. And, I am noticing some of the most talented professionals, celebrities, journalists, writers, entrepreneurs are on these platforms and building huge followings. There is something to it and it does need your attention if you plan to move forward and progress in your business.
Remember. Your journey to develop and build your business? It does not have to be huge....just consistent.
Soldier on,
Elizabeth
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