There is a high likelihood that you are reviewing this content after finding it on one of the JKL Associates landing site on a social media platform and leap frogged over to our site for additional detailed reading. This process of engagement to you are loyal readers and to those who just happened to search on a topic we could bring value to your electronic device are a touch point in the ever-expanding world of social media.
Going back years ago, having your name in the telephone book was a necessary investment to show yourself to the world. It did not have a search engine per say but gave a crude attempt to organize contact info not only by name but also by service or product offering. As the internet, cloud, PC’s, and the like grew and gave a digital access point the need and demand for having a website was a mandatory investment to validate to the world your business existed and was open for transactions.
Today with access to information as readily available as in the palm of your hand, social media presence is the current investment strategy to put your business on the potential radar of people seeking a product or service. It is not just the search engine finding your webpage anymore. It is about Search engine optimization and investing into key search words etc. It is about your posts and blogs and banter across platforms. The demand and intricacies of this social media explosion is so massive and varied that it has spawned numerous businesses and industries alike to bring these services and products to market.
All that being a history lesson, as leaders we must also understand what is being invested into and what expectations we are wanting and anticipating seeing from this effort. I recall years ago discussing with a client their marketing investment into a Yellow Pages add. At the time and this is likely 20 plus years ago, they invest a small 5 figure expense into the different yellow page books for the region. I simply asked them how they tracked the return on investing these dollars into this marketing service. At the time they looked at me and gave the typical reply, well we need people to find us and call us and that is where they find us. They had no way of proving it and were just working off history that is how they found them.
Fast forward to today. The dollars and need for attracting customers are even higher. Granted some technological advances have contribute to some efficiencies and cost savings but the ever widening need to capture customers to your door is even more challenging thus investment can be substantial. I’m both a proponent of social media marketing and a challenger. I say challenger because too often people are sold programs and platforms on social media the same way Yellow Pages were sold and purchased years ago. The leaders were not sure of the actual contribution they did, but surely did not want to risk not having exposure in case. This week I challenge you to step back and ask yourself what your social media efforts are trying to accomplish? Then determine if you can identify what they are actually contributing to that expectation. I caution you, if you reach out to your providers they will show you all kinds of activity ratings and growth of numbers following and liking your information. I challenge because being liked verses buying something – an actual conversion of interest into a sale is at the end of the day what pays for the investment and paychecks, and insurance and mortgages, keeping the business healthy etc.
Again, social media presence is an important component of your business marketing strategy. I simply suggest that you have and understand expectations of why you are doing it and what you are actually going to get from it. Does that align with running a health organization – attracting customers, employees and sales?
Curious about having a debate on what social media is or is not doing for your business? Give JKL Associates a call at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246
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Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
