Your time is precious. With countless responsibilities on your plate, you may wonder: Why should I bother with social networking? Does posting on LinkedIn or liking on Facebook yield tangible results, or is it just another time sink?
Perhaps you’ve glanced at a competitor’s LinkedIn or Facebook page, teeming with followers, and wondered whether this indicates business you’ve lost to them? Unfortunately, the answer is often – yes!
According to a study by IDC Research, “over 75% of business decisions now have a social networking component.” Social media is no longer optional but a powerful tool that can deliver real, measurable results for your business. However, it requires time, resources, and expertise to use social media effectively to generate results.
This leaves many business leaders struggling to navigate social media successfully. The C suite understands their business but lack the time to execute a consistent strategy. Hiring external agencies or junior staff to manage the process often fails because they follow a cookie-cutter approach that lacks the necessary business insight to be successful. However, avoiding the creation of a well-thought-out social media strategy means missing out on significant opportunities in today’s competitive market.
Why Social Networking Matters
Business leaders often ask, “What’s in it for me?” or “Why should I care about social networking?” The answer lies in the numbers and the evolving nature of modern decision-making. Advertorials have replaced genuine editorial which leads to trust issues. Google is dominated by the companies with the deepest pockets, not necessarily the best solutions. In many categories, click-through rates drop to 3% by page two of search results meaning if you cannot afford a top PPC position, you won’t see much business out of search traffic. And it’s unreasonable to trust the companies offering guaranteed page one organic search positions.
As a result, more and more purchasing decisions are now influenced by online communities and social networks. Business people are turning to their colleagues and peers for advice. They prefer to engage with vendors through social media where they can determine the pace of the interaction. It has become evident that customers are using social platforms to research, compare, and decide how to spend on products and services.
Consider this example: The MD of a mid-sized B2B company, sceptical about the value of spending effort on their LinkedIn connections, decided to invest at least 20 minutes Monday to Friday on their company’s social strategy. After 6 months of sticking to the regimen they saw some impressive results. They were able to formalise a channel relationship and met 6 prospects, and sign 2 new service agreements. This success was driven by focusing on using LinkedIn to identify appropriate connections, commenting on their posts (when appropriate) rather than simply broadcasting information. Then engaging in direct messaging that resulted in a zoom consultation.
The key takeaway? When done right, social networking can drive new business in ways that traditional marketing and cold outreach are much less effective.
The Common Pitfalls of Social Media Mismanagement
Despite its potential, many businesses fail to use social media effectively. Based on research and observations, here are three common mistakes that often hinder success:
- Inconsistency: A scattershot approach to posting and engaging with prospects prevents the momentum needed to build meaningful connections. Just as in face-to-face networking, you can’t show up occasionally and expect contacts to retain a level of interest.
- Would you rather be shouted at or have a conversation?: Many businesses treat social media like a billboard—writing generic posts, hoping they catch the right set of eyes. For social media to really work you need to integrate with the culture of the network, using them to create a dialogue, not just delivering a digital leaflet.
- Feigning a personal approach when DMing with generic messaging can be damaging: Another mistake is trying to create the illusion of a personalised approach with generic messages. How many times have you received a LinkedIn message from someone praising your business acumen just to sell you a completely irrelevant product? This approach not only damages a brand but also risks losing future business if prospects block the contact out of frustration.
The Power of Algorithms and Human Interaction
Social media impact is driven by two things: algorithms, which determine reach, and human interaction, which generates revenue. Each platform operates algorithms that influence who sees your posts. Simply posting frequently won’t suffice—adding value to the community is key to expanding your reach.
For example, LinkedIn encourages users to add value to their network and even provides metrics like the ‘Social Selling Index,’ which tracks key performance indicators to show how you compare to others in your industry.
On the human side, success depends on building genuine relationships. Coming across as pushy or impersonal can turn people off. But when social media is used to foster authentic conversations, it becomes an efficient way to lay the groundwork for real-world sales. Surprisingly few do this well, leaving the market open for those who do take the effort to make a lasting impression.
By consistently adding value, you ensure that algorithms reward you with greater visibility, and your human connections deepen, leading to real business opportunities from the comfort of your desktop or phone.
Why Most Businesses Struggle with Social Media
Here’s the reality: using social media effectively is time-consuming and requires real thought. Many businesses outsource social media management to juniors who lack business knowledge and follow fixed scripts. While they may post frequently, it becomes apparent that the content lacks depth and does not generate meaningful leads.
Savvy sales professionals use tools like CRM systems to manage connections, extending their reach by meticulously tracking interactions and being notified when key targets post updates. However, this approach has limitations; a person can only maintain so many connections before the process becomes unmanageable. How long a business leader can maintain a social networking strategy before being drawn onto other work is also limited.
CreativeGuru: Your Competitive Advantage
This is where CreativeGuru’s Managed Social Networking Service stands out. CreativeGuru is an omnichannel social networking service that identifies and engages with the right people on the right networks at the right time.
Rather than randomly reaching out to followers, CreativeGuru tracks thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of social profiles and posts to build a comprehensive picture of your market. – the service can be scaled to meet your budget and business objectives. Using advanced AI transformers developed by the team for the benefit of our customers, CreativeGuru identifies individuals who have demonstrated an interest in your business area. The model then profiles those individuals to ensure that it approaches prospects in a way that is both relevant and impactful.
Where a human sales team might manage relationships with 50 or 100 contacts, CreativeGuru can manage relationships with 50,000 or even 500,000 individuals, scaling your outreach efforts without sacrificing quality. All communication is designed with the goal of encouraging targets towards your business’s website.
With CreativeGuru managing your social media engagement, you’ll not only extend your reach but also increase the likelihood of positive outcomes through meaningful connections with your target audience—turning relationships into revenue.
Ready to Unlock the Full Potential of Social Media?
Social networking isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an essential tool for growing your business. Whether you’re trying to connect with new prospects or deepen relationships with existing ones, CreativeGuru can provide the competitive advantage you need.
If you’re ready to transform the way you use social media and see real business results, contact our sales team today to learn more and set up a meeting.
