UberNoggin

Like many social media geeks, I’ve had many opportunities to help folks understand how and why social media can change the way they do business, relate to other professionals, etc. These four objections are the most typical responses I hear from my most hesitant audiences. Whether you’re a company, university, or just an individual trying to establish yourself as a brand, the advice below ought to be helpful.

1. “We’re not a tech company. Why would we use that stuff?”

Not long ago, the internet was the land of geeks and nerds but that’s simply not true anymore. Back then, of course, web communications would have only been useful if you were a geek who wanted to get in touch with other geeks but with the preponderance of broadband, inexpensive computers, and mobile devices social media become easy to use and thus your audience, just about any audience in fact, is out there and tuned in to some kind of social media. It could be your employees, business contacts, or potential customers…your audience is there.

2. “We don’t have the time (people, resources) to pay attention to all that stuff.”

You don’t have the time/people/resources NOT to pay attention to the new conversations that are happening about/around/because of you. We can’t begin to calculate the money lost due to bad PR. One negative news story or one unsatisfied customer is all it takes to do damage to your brand and reputation. A bonafide effort to be transparent and conversational can allow us to all be more genuine, more trusted, and more likely to get the benefit of the doubt when things go wrong.

3. “We’re worried that if we start a conversation that people will say bad things about us.”

If you’re afraid that people may have something negative to say about your product/service then you have other issues to attend to beyond social media. If you provide quality customer service or engaging interaction then you’ve got nothing to worry about. If you don’t, well then hearing what you could be doing better could help you improve. Even if the complaints aren’t accurate they can still do damage so it’s best to listen up, pay attention, and address them with open communication.

4. “We already have a web site. That’s enough.”

Websites typically function as electronic brochures. They’re one-way communication. An old-style website talks at the reader rather than engaging them in conversation. Social media allows folks to talk back, to engage in conversation, and to get to know you better.

What hesistations regarding social media have you heard? Perhaps you have your own issues with blogs, Twitter, and other forms of social media. Leave it in the comments! Let’s chat!

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