I’m not a marketing guy by profession, nor am I a marketing guy by qualification (though I did do it for one year at TAFE), but I AM a marketing guy by default.
Each and every small business owner is a marketing guy, a sales guy, an IT guy, some kind of guy that needs to make a small business run and be profitable. From this point, we all have our opinions on what good marketing is, and we can only wax lyrical about what has worked for our businesses and what hasn’t.
Enter Social Media. The baby of the marketing methods often perceived as a waste of time and resources, at times unquantifiable, and for some small businesses non-existent. Whenever “Social Media” and “Marketing” get used in the same sentence, the word “monetisation” is sure to quickly follow.
Let’s face it, time = money, so wasting time = wasting money, and if there is one thing that requires a whole lot of time, its Social Media. So people monetise it to see if their effort in (time) will equal effort out (money).
Now, I can see why people do this as it’s probably a smart thing to do, but really what’s the point? Social Media is the future of marketing, it’s the future of communication, and it’s the future of all businesses past, present and future. So why monetise the freakin’ thing? Your business will inevitably succumb to it so instead of spending MORE time in see if the sums are right, just damn well do it!
It’s like going from a typewriter to a word processor or from the drawing board to CAD, they all involve a lot of work to begin with and a lot of work to keep it all together, but you wouldn’t monetise either of them as they would be essential in running your business.
And that’s what Social Media should be for your business, essential. If it’s not now, it will be eventually. And it will take a lot of time, effort, and wondering if it’s all worth it but don’t go trying to put a dollar figure on it, as you’ll be disappointed almost every time which will kill your mojo, your funk, and your groove that you had at the beginning when you first dove in.
Remember back in the day when having a website for your business was a “should I or shouldn’t I” question? Well this is where Social Media is at now. These days, you wouldn’t dream of starting a business without a website. Or without Social Media.
So have a green thumb and make Social Media your garden. Spend the time preparing, planting, and watering then sit back and watch it grow. Remember to water it regularly, fix any broken bits and cut off the dead parts. Just don’t think about how much it’s costing you, because chances are, once you’re an expert, it won’t cost you a thing. And on top of that, you’ll enjoy doing, and will want to do it more often.
Just like gardening.
dEx - gossip ink.social media
“Social Media is MY garden! Just ask my wife 
”
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