Being in the social media business, I have interactions with a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners on the topic of social media for business. Through those conversations, I have come to classify them in five major categories according to their understanding and usage of social media. They range from avid users to those who are still skeptical about the benefits of social media. As you read this, find yourself, honestly, and assess your current social media efforts. Our aim is to encourage more businesses to get the full benefit from their social media interactions.
The Pro
This is the user that has grasped the benefit and intends to wring out of it everything they can get. The pro will be invested in multiple networks and have multiple posts going out five to seven days a week. They know that social media works for them and can point you to the stats to prove it. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? In other words, are they seeing success because they use it, or are they using it because they see success? The answer is yes, both and. The real question is, does it matter which came first? To find out if this works for you, you have to try it! Take our thirty day challenge coming up November First and see what a difference it makes!
The Gifted Amateur
This is a true networker. They may run a one person show, or at least manage most important things themselves. They work social media as they have time. They believe in the benefits and are well invested in at least one network. While they may not post multiple times every day, they are working toward that goal and say things that add value to their fans lives. They are more likely to spend time directly engaging on other pages as well, and know the value of replying to fans that comment, like and share their posts and other info. They are well on their way and already seeing benefits.
Rookie
This is the beginner. They see some value and maybe have some small success with social media. They want to do more, but as we all know, business demands a lot of time and switching hats all day long can leave little creativity or time for being witty on Facebook. The Rookie likely posts multiple times each week, and has at least some relevant posts that attempt to share value with their audience.
Promoter
Promoters are the car salespeople of the social media world. They work hard at promoting their real world events, sales and other happenings. They see social media as a tool to gather crowds and drive traffic. They primarily use old media tactics, such as announcing sales, posting items and sending invites to the big event! This type of user will only ever see limited results, even if they don’t recognize it as limiting. Their approach has a tendency to alienate a modern audience which really wants to come away with something from each interaction, more than a good price on clearance merchandise.
Pessimist
The pessimist is the business owner who has a facebook fanpage, but it “doesn’t work” for their business. Typically, one look at the page will show you why. They may have spent some time at the very outset in a half hearted attempt to get fans and start conversations, but most of the time it has been weeks, or even months since the page was last used. Social media is like health supplements, they only work if used daily over an extended period. It takes time and persistence to build audience.
