I am constantly amazed with the way many people view social media. I had a conversation with a fellow business owner that left me shaking my head in amazement. When I asked if their company was involved online, they assured me that they were – they had a website. When I asked if they were involved on Facebook or twitter, the answer was that no, they weren’t really into that kind of stuff. They assured me that social media was not something their company was interested in, nor would they find it very helpful.
The real head-scratching began when they started to share with me that they have found the best way of generating business is to network. If you get out there and let people know who you are, they assured me, you will see results.
Um. But. Um.
As I asked more questions, it became apparent to me that they were making a very critical error in their thinking. They see online social media as technology. Something for the geeks or those with no life and plenty of time on their hands. What they were missing is that tools like twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn are not primarily pieces of technology but rather methods of interacting and networking.
If you find that most of your business is the result of networking, then social networking is probably a really good fit for you. It is just another way of meeting people – yes, even online – and having an opportunity to forge relationships.
Do you have any stories to share about how social media has influenced or affected your business? What is your biggest deterent, if you aren’t involved?
