A Social Media Lesson in Patience.
October 9th, 2009Author: Allison Blass
I was speaking with another public relations professional the other day and he asked me what I thought was important for companies to know about being involved in social media. I rattled off the usual pieces of advice, like listening and being proactive with engagement, but I also said that companies need to be patient.
In general, I think companies have grown used to an idea that a hit in the New York Times or Oprah can radically change the ROI, but that’s not necessarily true for social media. Social media, while very fast in nature, can take time when it comes to building relationships and trust. You can create a Twitter account in less than a minute, and you can follow a hundred people in about 10 minutes, but does that mean you’ll become the next Ashton Kutcher? A blogger, Twitter or Facebook campaign can lead to a lot of eyeballs on your pages, but the true test of a successful social media campaign is how many people came back? A company may launch a Facebook page, but getting fans can take time because there’s more follow-through required.
Patience is key when evaluating your social media program. Many clients may get frustrated that they aren’t getting hundreds of followers or fans every day. It’s important to keep working on new, innovative ways to give fans something to do, something to read, a way to interact with the brand that shows them why they should take the time to get involved with a brand. Then, be patient.
