Is your business still not using on social media? Social Media Manager Laura Hall explores why it’s time to stop making excuses and start getting social.

The problem with social media is that everyone thinks they know how to use it. People assume because they know how to use it on a personal level that they can also succeed when using it for business. This means that when they don’t succeed, they blame social media, or extenuating circumstances rather than their approach.

Here are the top 5 excuses businesses give for not using social media – and why it’s time to stop using them.

“We don’t have the budget for it”

This comment should be familiar to almost every social media manager. Businesses say they don’t have the budget for it, so they opt for updating their social media channels on an ad hoc basis, whenever someone has a spare 5 minutes. This naturally doesn’t work and therefore social doesn’t work.

This attitude also presumes that social media doesn’t deliver ROI. After all, what business couldn’t find time for an activity that delivered a good return?

Social media should not be seen as a separate entity that needs budgeting for separately but as the next step in the evolution of existing processes. Social media should be part of your customer service offering, your PR strategy and your internal and external communications. Rather than seeing social media as something isolated that needs budgeting for, think about how you can use your budgets for these activities to integrate social media.

“We don’t have the time”

Rather than hire an expert team, businesses attempt to take on social media activity themselves to save costs, meaning it becomes a last minute consideration. Social media becomes a burden that gets in the way of running the business rather than a useful activity that enhances the business.

Social media can’t just be done when you have a spare few minutes. It needs to be executed strategically and methodically. When you work to a strong social media strategy, you will also find that it takes less time. You won’t be scrabbling for content and you can make better use of automation.

“Our customers aren’t using social media”

This is the anti-social media rallying cry of most niche or B2B businesses and it is simply not true. Both personally and professionally, your customers are using social media – and they want to talk. On average B2B marketers who use Twitter generate twice as many leads as those who don’t [Source: Social Media Today]. If your current approach to social media isn’t getting you customers, it’s not because the customers aren’t there, but because you are not reaching them in an optimal way.

 “It just doesn’t deliver meaningful ROI for us”

When people say this they really mean “Our approach to social media doesn’t deliver ROI”. All too often businesses are ready to dismiss social media after a few Facebook updates that go unnoticed. An unsuccessful ad campaign doesn’t mean you stop advertising; it means you try a different approach. If a type of product proves unsuccessful, you don’t stop selling all together; you sell a different product. Be wary of throwing the baby out with the bath water until you have tried a strategic, considered approach to social media.

“We don’t have anything to say”

Businesses that struggle with creating interesting content are usually the ones working without a strategy. Most people when put on the spot have little to say; the key is to plan ahead/ Research interesting content sources and have a library of go-to websites. Ensure your PR and customer servicing teams are involved in the planning of content and schedule content in advance to ensure your interesting content is spread across the week to get maximum attention.

Social media struggles when companies try to cut corners in its adoption. There are no quick fixes. If social media isn’t working, then your approach isn’t working, not the concept of social media itself. If you are ready to take a more structured, methodical approach to social media - no excuses - then contact Bravr. Our expert social media team can transform your social media presence into something that really works.