Whenever you get behind in any race (assuming you are competitive) – there is a tendency to expend considerable effort to catch up – and that only depletes your resources, thereby pushing you even further behind.
Of course, everyone falls behind at some point. This is when you need a new strategy to regain and protect your confidence.
If you want to win the race against social media overwhelm, the trick is to have a new plan – one that you can reliably execute to achieve acceptable results.
Winners are always assessing their circumstances. When they determine they are not winnable, they quickly pivot, thereby taking a new course of action
Here are three to choose from.
#1 – Start a New Race
Children are great at throwing in the towel when they know they cannot win a particular game. Whereas, businesses do all kinds of crazy things just to prove they can take the pain. Don’t do it.
When you invest considerable resources to win a game that is unwinnable – confidence and morale drop off precipitously.
Instead, start a new race. Many businesses are discovering that Facebook isn’t working for them, so they are focusing their efforts on LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Google+.
Do one thing well and you will feel like a winner. It’s better to have a robust presence on Pinterest than a mediocre one across the board on the more “popular” networks.
Also, it is important to recognize that business is now personal, and so you should lead with this approach: Personal social media accounts are essential for building traffic to your business.
#2 – Pretend You are Winning
When you get deep into social media marketing you discover you have more balls in the air than you can possible handle. So, let a few of them drop, because most people will not notice.
Now, you are winning again.
When you start with a fresh mindset you have a winning attitude, one that is more likely to then accomplish your intended objectives.
Try not to measure your marketing against any other businesses. Just learn from them. Borrow their better practices to develop an approach that is uniquely suited to your business.
There is no one-way to do this, but there is a way that is ideal for your business, and you won’t find it without some experimentation.
#3 – Change the Game
Maybe social media isn’t right for you, at least as a primary channel.
Instead, you may consider focusing on building your email newsletter list – and then using it to gradually develop your social media channels.
Many of us have used our social channels to populate our lists. However, once again, there are many ways to do this.
For example, many marketers attribute more than 50% of their email list sign-ups to live events.
Email newsletters are digital, and that allows for seamless integration with social media. What else is digital?
Podcasting, video, and online presentations are making a resurgence these days. If you are one who could be considered a personality, this may be your ticket. Again, being digital, all of this media intersects.
Find a game that works for you and your business and own it.
Every Business is a Media Company
The truth is you have to start making some choices. Which media do you plan to use to build your collective business channel?
Traditional media such as newspapers and magazines are still viable options, with the exception that they are costly and, well – they aren’t social. This even holds true for your website if it does not have some sort of social integration.
One cannot deny the fact that business is becoming increasingly, if not profoundly social. For this reason, to ignore its influences could prove to be a sure path to irrelevancy.
Take the steps to win the race against social media overwhelm.
Your business – and its customers – will be glad you did.
About the Author: Jeff Korhan, MBA, helps mainstream small businesses create exceptional customer experiences that accelerate business growth. Get more from Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.
Jeff is also the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business – Released April 15, 2013 (Wiley)
