Every few months there seems to be a survey released about SME engagement with social media. Today’s comes from Sensis and claims that just 14% of small businesses, 25% of medium businesses and 50% of large businesses have a social media presence.
Am I surprised? Not really. Given the surveys that show that as many as half of small businesses don’t have a website, it’s no shock to learn that most aren’t engaging with social media either.
But my questions is: Why?
I know the standard answers.
Many small businesses say their customers aren’t on social media sites. If you are a tradie with a thriving business in building or plumbing or electrical work, you’ve probably been getting most of your jobs out of the local paper or by word-of-mouth. Why bother with something that might not work?
The other group that seems to steer away from social media are services businesses – some accountants, lawyers and consultants seem to struggle to understand what they could post on Facebook, Twitter or on a blog.
To me, this is a narrow-minded view of the world. Sure, your current customers aren’t on social media, but the large user bases social media sites have means there could be hundreds of prospective clients out there, if not thousands.
Just spending time on Twitter answering people who tweet about problems (with their car, their plumbing or their tax) is a brilliant way to boost your profile, create a following and eventually create customers.
Posting a tip of the week or even links to interesting news in your industry is a great way to portray yourself as an expert.
Answering customer queries or complaints is an easy way to improve your customer service.
If you are one of the majority of entrepreneurs not on social media, I urge you to do some research. Spend some time trawling around these sites, looking at who comments on your sector. Decide if there is a little niche you can fill, that might help you boost your marketing lists.
Experiment a bit. Watch for awhile. Explore the different sites and maybe choose one to focus on.
But ignore at your own risk.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
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