If Your Social Media Program Isn't Working, Here's Why...

As a follow-on to my Friday post about the important need to make a strong business case for a robust social media initiative with concrete objectives, I thought I would offer this complementary guidance.

Many SMB owners who often dive into this arena without a definitive strategy and comprehensive plan in place usually complain to me that their efforts are NOT paying off. No surprise there. And that makes sense, no matter what marketing tactic is being implemented. One needs a game plan for any business initiative so it can generate the desired return on investment (ROI). It only makes sense, right? Usually, good planning = good results.

I recently revisited an excellent commentary, written by Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media, and published on SmallBizTrends.com, which succinctly explains the top six reasons behind the failure of most social media programs. And these points certainly bear repeating here. Here they are:

1. You have no framework.
2. You don't have great content (According to Barone, and I agree, this is the most important tip!)
3. You're targeting the wrong site/audience.
4. You're putting the wrong people in charge.
5. You're not listening.
6. You're just dabbling with it.

Follow these tips and techniques to maximize the impact of your social media efforts. If your program IS working, but not as strongly as you'd like, then perhaps it's time to revisit some of these areas to see where improvements can be made. Make your time, energy, and resources work for you. If you're going to invest in this channel, it makes sense to do it right from the get-go.