Social-Media Marketing Is Not the Silver Bullet for Busy Entrepreneurs Relying solely on social media is a slow and increasingly expensive way to grow your business. Accelerate the process by getting your message in front of larger audiences.
By Kimanzi Constable Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The entrepreneurial life is busy. You spend an long hours growing your business and serving your customers. On top of all of that, you have the normal responsibilities of life. You throw in a family, and it seems like there's not enough time in each week.
You have to stay ahead of new technology and strategies to grow and thrive in your business. The Internet and social media have created an unprecedented way to reach new customers.
Everywhere you look there's a new and exciting way to use social media marketing. There is an overwhelming amount of digital agencies and expert's telling you the 100 ways you're doing social media wrong.
Related: 10 Signs You're Using Social Media Wrong
Social media marketing has become the new SEO and we're told that it's the best way to reach our present and future customers. There's a huge flaw in that line of thinking. We're seeing it more as social media companies go public. The organic reach of social media is pretty close to zero.
We've been told that we need engaging content to reach our audience, but that's not enough. Today, you have to pay if you want to reach your audience. The return on your investment is questionable, and many entrepreneurs have no clue what they're doing when it comes to social media marketing.
There have been horror stories from entrepreneurs who have spent thousands of dollars with very little to show for it. Social media market can be great if it's used as one tool in your marketing toolbox. A diverse marketing strategy is the best marketing strategy.
There is a strategy that many entrepreneurs are familiar with, it's called the 80/20 rule. You look for what 20 percent of strategies you can use to get you 80 percent of your results. Social media marketing is not a 20 percent strategy.
We started this article talking about how busy entrepreneurs are. Finding 20 percent strategies helps you reclaim your time while getting better results for your business.
The alternative.
Instead of focusing your time on social media marketing, or SEO, or one of the other hundred ways to market, turn your focus towards getting exposure to the bigger audience.
In July of 2014, I wrote my first article for the Huffington Post. Shortly after that, I started writing for Entrepreneur.com. My writing has also been featured in many other publications, including NBC News. This has been a 20 percent strategy.
The results have been:
- My social media presence has grown by 86 percent.
- My email list has gone from 3,000 people to over 19,000 people.
- My business has exploded.
Everywhere you look there is a great opportunity to get your business and message exposed to your target audience in a bigger way.
There are large authority websites that get millions of visitors each month. There are podcasts that have more downloads than traditional radio shows. There are blogs that people all over the world read and learn from.
Related: Top 25 Business Podcasts for Entrepreneurs
One article or one interview can do more for your business than social media marketing every will, and you will still grow your social media presence quicker.
I know what some entrepreneurs reading this might be thinking, "I'm not a writer." Stephen King says, "Writing is refined thinking." You may not be what you consider a "writer," but you do have thoughts and ways of thinking about what you do that your audience wants to know.
Today's technology makes it easy to get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper. You can use a speak-to-text program, or a transcription service. You can then hire an editor to clean up your thoughts and make it compelling.
You then take that article and try to get it featured on large authority websites or blogs in your niche. You can also send it to a podcaster and pitch them as to why you'd make a great guest.
Exposure in a few keys places will grow every part of your business without the effort and money it takes to reach a small amount of people on social media. It's a 20 percent strategy that will grow your business in ways that you didn't think were possible.
Don't believe the hype about social media market. It can be a great way to reach your audience, but it should only be one part of your overall strategy. Focus on the 20 percent strategies and reclaim your most valuable resource: your time.
Related: Increasing Website Traffic: 6 Steps to Guest Blogging
