And why? —In particular, “Why me?” might be your real question. You got into business or entered your career, so you could make your “thing” or paint your painting or offer your service…but the modern world came along and said “Whoa Nelly! Learn how to use social media or you’re going to go bankrupt, die a starving artist, or join the Lonely Hearts Club of Business Owners without Clients!” Certainly an exaggeration of what may befall you but not a “wild exaggeration.”
There are just so many options
So, maybe you read up on the mechanics of Facebook Ads, picked the brains of some techie friends, watched some YouTube tutorials on growing your audience through Instagram—then swiftly pulled up the covers and took an 8-hour nap, or flung yourself at the nearest cheesecake. Yes, it can certainly be intimidating, confusing, and overwhelming. Many business owners, though highly intelligent in other areas, feel totally outwitted by the world of social media.
Just when you get a handle on it, they change it up!
You may have even reached the point where you were getting somewhat comfortable with Facebook and Instagram postings. And then reels came along….and TikTok came along…and you crawled back into the coziness of your afternoon nap and dreamed of better days. And when you woke from your nap, you realized all the rules had changed: Algorithms had changed, Facebook and Instagram policies changed, advertising rates changed, and the platforms you used in the past no longer worked for your business.
Marketing Post-Pandemic
It is not too late for you or for your business. Sure, you may have become discouraged. Your business struggled through Covid, shutdowns, financial challenges, and perhaps even loss of staff members. You probably had little spare time to think about social media. We know that you personally survived, and we hope, your business also survived but like many businesses, it probably suffered lots of setbacks. You may feel that a 2-3 year pandemic actually set your business back 5-7 years.
We are living in a unique time period: a post-worldwide pandemic era. Well, perhaps it may be too early to say “post-pandemic” but we can probably agree that it is on the downswing. During the pandemic, much of the population became even more attached to the internet than they had been pre-pandemic, which takes us to the “why” in this discussion.
Why do our businesses need to use social media? Can’t we just work around it? Isn’t it possible to run a business without it? We all know one of those struggling mom n’ pop shops that still remains afloat after 40 years even though they don’t even use digital marketing. Well, they are the exception: they have a built-in customer base that has been coming to them for decades. Maybe they can get by without using social media, but they would certainly have more customers if they used it. Just think about it in the simplest terms: more people would hear about them. It is all just a numbers game, afterall. The more people who recognize and remember your business name, the more customers you will acquire.
Why use social media? Because that is where the people are. Meet them where they are! That is the simplest answer. It has been said, “If you build it, they will come.” It worked for Facebook, but it may not work for Joe & Judy’s Shoe Repair Shop. Joe and Judy may need the help of Facebook and other platforms if they want the customers to come.
It is a difficult leap for many individuals and entrepreneurs—the leap from the comfort of our old ways into the current digital world. Many of us did not grow up in the techie world—we did not grow up with cell phones, computers, and Ipads. How can we compete with the younger generation of people who grew up in that world and are so capable and fluent with social media? Well, truth is, we can certainly compete. These are learnable skills that once learned, may be much more enjoyable than you had ever imagined.
Want to learn more about the who, what, when, where, and how of digital marketing?
We would like to guide you down that road less travelled until you feel you can take the wheel. We have the tools and skill sets to pass on to you: skills that can help you drive your business forward. If you are interested in creating a real online presence and leading your business into a new era, feel free to contact us. We have so many resources to help you!
One such resource is our Master Online Marketing Program: a 12-week social media marketing group coaching program that begins September 2022. Everyone who signs up will benefit from regular accountability, training, and feedback along the way. And at the end of 12 weeks, you’ll have the knowledge and tools you need to grow your business through online marketing.
Master your Online Marketing Program
For any other information on how Crummy Media Solutions can assist your business, sign up for a free discovery call!