This is the hot potato. SMEs especially are asking this all the time, as they are struggling and are looking for the “way out” of the recession. They want the answer to be: “Yes and it is the fast lane out of the predicament. Join now, quick and be one of the success stories.” I’m sorry to say this, but that is not the answer.
I just came from a conference where the question was asked time and time again, but never really answered. I did not contribute to the answering at all, for very simple reasons. My little sister asks my advice every now and then. I give it to her and she ignores it. Some time later she comes and tells me off for knowing what trouble she is going to get into, yet letting her get into it. It is all fun and games, as long as it is family, but I cannot afford that in business.
Instead of answering, let me ask three questions:
- Do you know what you are getting into? This is a commitment much bigger than you think. The community is there 24/7. If your website was last updated months ago and the plants at the office are dead, I’m sorry for the plants, but get your website done first.
- What are your expectations? Be careful what you ask for. This is not the buffet of free lunches and while you get a lot of data, it has to be formed into information. If you put an ad on the front page of the Times, you better have people to answer the phone.
- Is your business ready? Can you handle the feedback, communicate it within your company and act accordingly, fast and decisive. Do you have the resources to do what needs to be done, to ride the wave?
Community is like fire, you need to sit by it, but in essence, the recipe is simple. It basically needs four things:
- Burning material. Except you have to tend the material, as people throw toxic plastics on there too.
- Heat. Enough buzz to keep it going, not too much to keep it under control.
- Oxygen. Sometimes it needs a huff and a puff.
- Continuous chain reaction. It needs to be tended to keep it going, but not to burn your business down
Now then, is this social media for your company?
