With all the hype that surrounds social media, I have found that there is a relatively large segment of the business professional population that is resistant to embracing this huge trend. The age of this group tends to be over the age of 40, but I am also meeting an increasing number of younger professionals who simply do not like social media, period. The reasons vary from:
- I just don’t have the time,
- I have nothing to post about,
- I like to keep my personal life private,
- to, I think social media is a platform to brag.
It’s important to acknowledge your feelings regarding social media and know that it’s okay to feel that way about it. However, it is equally important to understand that it is highly likely that those in your target market may feel just the opposite about it. In fact, those individuals who fully immerse themselves in social media are using it to help them make decisions based on referrals, recommendations, and visibility. The question we need to ask ourselves then is, “How much are we missing out on by not engaging on various social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn?” And, “Is it worth a bit of discomfort in order to find out?”
The bottom line is that social media is a free vehicle to promote our profession and business. We cannot ignore the fact that Facebook has over 1.4 Billion users worldwide (Jan/2014, Browser Media) and more than 95% log on at least once per day (Oct/2013, Social Media Today). It would be unwise to let our personal opinions about social media prevent us from reaching a segment of our target audience. Rather, we should look at it as we would any other advertising medium whether it’s print, radio, billboards, or television. But the bonus is that social media is FREE!
Keep it relevant.