I have a client who has recently been swept up in a social media frenzy. She spends hours, sometimes full days, posting to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social sites. Her Twitter feed often shows several posts per hour. She is engaging people, posting interesting items, and has definitely leveraged social media to create buzz and brand. Recently, Amy (let’s call her Amy) confided in me that despite all this, she hardly gets any business from it, and that it has taken time away from other marketing.
Our conversation went something like this:
Amy: “I post on social media all day, but I’m not getting any business!”
Me: “How long have you been in business, and how long have you been doing social media?”
Amy: “I’ve been in business for five years, and have been using social media heavily for about three months.”
Me: “How did you get clients before you tried social media?”
Amy: “I did a combination of telephone calls, in-person canvassing, and personal networking.”
Me: “Do you still spend time doing these things?”
Amy: “Much less than I used to, and some days not at all.”
Me: “Get back to spending most of your time doing those things!”
Maybe this is overly simple, but so many business people do not spend most of their time doing the things which bring in the most revenue. They get caught up in doing other, less important things, some of which make them zero money. Social media is important, and should play a role in your overall marketing strategy, but it needs its proper place and attention. Organizing your desk, training employees, running the business – these are all important. But are you allotting enough time to the things that make you the most money? If not, start reorganizing your day today.