1. Nothing Relevant Happens via Social Media
Is professional development relevant to our company? What about recruiting? Or keeping up with best practices in our industry? Or building brand awareness?
These are all key parts of our operations. Social media tools make it possible to decrease costs, access new resources, speed up operations and get things done more efficiently.
2. Social Media Subverts Our Brand
I hate to say it, but our brand’s reputation is out of our hands. Our customers, the press, our competitors and our critics are sharing their thoughts about us online. Good news, though: we can listen in. We can join the conversation, too. We’ve even got brand ambassadors out there…thanks to social networking…who are willing to stand up for us.
3. Social Media is Just a Fad
Dude…er, I mean, boss…you said the same thing about e-mail. Google Trends shows the world’s interest in social media has been growing consistently for the past few years. The future is coming…shouldn’t we at least get the guest room ready, just in case?
4. Only Teenagers and College Kids Do That Stuff
Well, no. Sure, they started it, but they’re not the only players now. Check out these Facebook demographics. Our customers use this stuff. Our competitors use this stuff. Our suppliers use this stuff. It’s time we get our fuddy-duddy ol’ selves into the game.
5. We Already Have a Website
That’s kinda like saying “I already have a TV, I don’t need a phone.” Our website is a one-way communication tool. Our customers don’t want us to communicate to them, they want us to communicate with them. Think of the ways we’ll be able to improve our business and better satisfy our clients by engaging in conversation!
6. We’re a B2B Company — Social Media Doesn’t Work for B2B
I’ll concede that finding social media’s role in a B2B setting is still a work in progress, but the progress is coming. Remember blogging? It was once the turf of tech geeks and personal diarists. Now it’s a key piece of the communications mix at some big-time companies. Check out the work Forrester Research did on B2B blogging. B2B adoption of other Web 2.0 tools isn’t far behind.
7. Legal Will Throw a Fit
Let ‘em. Those guys are overprotective anyway. What are they afraid of? That somebody will leak insider secrets? Everybody who works here signed a confidentiality agreement when they started. The medium isn’t the problem.
8. We Can’t Hire a Social Media Person Right Now
We don’t need to. Ask Jake from Customer Service if he wants to do it. And Diane in HR, too. Heck, even Bob from the warehouse. These guys might not be as slick and polished as the PR guys, but the social media community is totally cool with that. They like guys with a little dirt under their nails. It’s about unveiling the human characters that make our company run. People like that stuff.
9. Our Budget is Focused on Advertising
Social media and advertising don’t have to compete. They should work together, in fact. Advertising is the big, gaudy spotlight that draws people to our party; social media is the riveting conversations that are happening all throughout the bar.