Is your business future proof? Are you reaching your full potential on Social Media? What happens if you’re just dabbling with Social Media rather than taking it seriously?

Social Media is far from a fad
– LinkedIn launched in 2003 – and gained traction in 2006
– Facebook – open to the public since 2006
– Twitter was created in 2006 – and really gained traction in 2009
– Blogging – well I’ve been doing it since 1999 (and there were people since the dawn of the internet)

None of these platforms are shiny new toys and in 2015 Social Media is as common place as using a pen, a phone or breathing.

It’s what masses of the population do – it’s an essential part of a business plan – so why the resistance?

I can accept people haven’t jumped on to new platforms such as Periscope yet with it being just 2 months old, but even so by the end of this blog I feel you may be considering signing up and joining the club of Scopers

Want to know why you should take Social Media seriously – and find out how to future proof your business – then read on!!

Here is what happens if you don’t take social media seriously

1. LEAVE SOCIAL MEDIA TILL LATER … AND YOUR COMPETITION ARE 10 STEPS AHEAD OF YOU
Make no mistake – if you don’t take advantage of Social Media, you can bet your competitors will

With Social Media you need to go all in with it so everyone in your immediate location knows who you are, what you do and doesn’t think of anybody else for the job except you

So imagine you’ve sat there and ignored Social Media or you’ve been dabbling for a number of months / years not really knowing what you’re doing or why you’re doing it … whilst your closest competitors have been heads down taking
Social media seriously and have a built a large loyal audience that buy from them and refer work to them

Imagine being a cola beverage now trying to compete with well established brands like Coca Cola or Pepsi – it’s nigh on impossible

That’s what it’s like on Social Media is you allow your competition to build up a loyal audience months and years ahead of you

Be the 1st mover, build up the loyalty now and get that 1st mover advantage!

2. THE LONGER YOU LEAVE IT THE NOISIER THE MARKET PLACE BECOMES
It was easier to get noticed on Twitter in 2009 or 2010 than it is now in 2015

It was easier to build a facebook page before than it is now

And in a years time, it will be harder to get noticed on Instagram than it is now

The longer you leave to join a platform or to start taking a platform seriously the noisier it becomes as more and more people start to use Social Media

The value from Social Media comes when you have everyone’s undivided attention

3. YOU LOOK ARCHAIC BY NOT USING SOCIAL MEDIA
I keep ramming this point home in Social Media Talks and Workshops across the North West because it’s important

“If I was a graduate in 2015 – I would not work for a company that didn’t understand the importance of Social Media”

If you want to attract the best candidates to work for you – you have to be seen as a company that is progressive and is future proof

The graduates of today have grown up with Social Media and don’t know a world without Social Media

Candidates who are ambitious will want to work for a company that is progressive and has similar sized ambitions rather than working on an IT Infrastructure that is 10 years out of dates and doesn’t understand modern communication

4. YOU SPEND MORE ON TRADITIONAL MARKETING WHEN YOU DON’T TAKE SOCIAL SERIOUSLY
Here’s the truth

Many of my Social Media clients are spending little or nothing on Traditional Marketing

Their competitors are spending a small fortune on local newspaper adverts

And my clients are busier 🙂

Social Media Marketing is about marketing where your customers eyes and with over 50% of the UK using Social Media on a daily basis (plus the outreach from that) you can cut your marketing spend massively

Speak to us about how Social Media can reduce your traditional marketing spend

5. YOU MISS OUT ON NEW BUSINESS BY NOT BEING ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Do you know how much £££s worth of business is being passed around on Social Media every single day?

In the past week alone I’ve referred thousands of £££s to Window Companies, Printers, Hotels, Electricians and restaurants

And that’s not even looking at what we do on client accounts for individual business

When people are looking for service providers or products if they’re not looking on Google, they’re looking for Social media referrals and if you’re not part of the conversation, if you’re not contactable online you’re missing out on so  much new business

Altrincham Hq

“With over 12 years experience of Social Media and 17 years experience of online marketing in other companies, clients come to myself when they want a veteran rather than a rookie” Alex McCann