Is Social Media a waste of money

According to Gordon Beattie of Beattie Communications, social media is a waste of time and money for many companies.For those on a limited budget, and who doesn’t claim that to be a reality, Beattie suggests they are better off:

getting their websites to the top of the search engines or grabbing the headlines in the press and media is going to give them a much better return than a social media marketing campaign. The truth is that the majority of companies are wasting valuable manpower and financial resources on social media. I come at it from the standpoint – if it does not drive sales and build a brand, it’s not worth doing.

There’s a lot to unpack in here.

First, I agree that SEO needs to be a priority – regardless of budget. But what Beattie is ignoring is the important role social media can play in turbocharging PR efforts, especially for companies that have limited budgets. In my world, limited budget is shorthand for small company, and I know very few small companies that are capable of “grabbing the headlines.”

Limited-budget companies that employ good social media practices of listening, responding and creating solid original content, are not only building brand, they’re laying the foundation for future PR efforts by establishing their subject matter expertise and credibility. I have always had more success with media when working from a foundation we, the company, built, than by working the traditional pitch model.

To be sure, there are companies that are wasting time and money in social media, but that stems more from poor execution than from not belonging in the space. Done right, social media can work for most any company B2B or B2C, and for Beattie to dismiss it as being a waste is shortsighted.

It’s hard to argue with Search Engine Land’s B2B Social Media tips

Every so often I run across an article that has me nodding in complete agreement, and this one from Search Engine Land had me doing exactly that. The article – while using the work “tips” – actually outlines four reasons B2B companies need to be involved in social media.

Putting aside tactics like Facebook, Twitter and blogging, SEL’s Strictly Business points to the four basic elements of why:

1. Influence your online reputation
2. Better position your brand
3. Engage prospects & customers
4. Improve customer service

If you’re not doing these things for your company, others will do it for you. And those others will include customers (happy and not so happy), competitors (looking to gain an edge), and media.

Not only does social media give us the power to monitor and comment on what others are saying, it also provides the opportunity to drive what is being said. It’s an offer that’s hard to refuse and one that can be accepted in 4 simple steps.

Isn’t it time to take the first step?

Playing with the LG Revolution for social media evolution

By day I’m the director of marketing for OptiMine, a paid search bid management solution and I spent last week in Boston exhibiting at Shop.org, a trade show for online retailers. Most of our marketing efforts are executed across the Web and social media is becoming a major part of that. I say becoming because we are a young company, almost four years old, and, as the first marketing hire, I got started only three months ago.

Using a smartphone while on site is a must for anyone who is doing trade shows. There is no better way to capture the activity. For Shop.org I was fortunate to have gotten my hands on the LG Revolution with Verizon service. I say fortunate because it allowed me to accomplish everything I set out to do.

While meeting prospects and customers is the primary objective for any exhibitor, Web 2.o and smartphone technology has made it possible to go beyond, bringing the wider experience to a much bigger audience. I’m talking about more than live tweeting with a hashtag. For example, the video below was shot using the Revolution. I was standing a few feet away from the subject and, although you can hear the background noise, y0u cannot appreciate just how loud it was. That’s how good the mic on the Revolution is. In terms of use, shooting video and stills and immediately uploading to YouTube, Twitter or Facebook is as simple as selecting “Share” and deciding where you want to send it.

 

The Revolution is 4G and the speeds are amazing, but the call quality does leave a little something to be desired. While I didn’t experience any problems, I did use the phone to call several people and a few did comment it sounded like I was speaking in a cave.

If you’re looking to shoot video, or stills and upload to your favorite social networking site – for  business or pleasure – the LG Revolution is a great option.