Recently, I have been talking to groups of business owners around the country about social media. And the same questions come up again and again. Is there a payoff?  How much time will it take?  Who should manage it and what should we say. 

This week I will share some of the answers. 

 

Our research seems to indicate it does.  In three separate studiesover an 18 month period we asked business owners if they received leads from social media. In each study, more than 70% of the respondents said yes.  

 

How much time should you spend?   In our study, we found a strong correlation between time spent and sales. On average, the majority of small business owners spend less than 1 hour a day.  

What's the best way to manage the time you spend on your professional social media accounts? That can be a tricky question. Here are a few tips 

The short answer:  NOT YOUR INTERN!!!! Social media is quickly becoming the "go to media" for many of your customers.    Would you trust an intern to create your tv advertising?  Of course not.  While students understand the mechanics of the software, they don't understand your business goals.  While they can be involved in the process, the owner or marketing manager needs to be setting the tone and direction.