5 Convincing Arguments for
Steering Clear of Social Media
By
Jason Bayless
Do you secretly love it when you “accidentally” forget your iPhone or Mac charger at home when you venture out for the day? There’s a special kind of freedom that comes from disconnecting, even for just a few hours. There are plenty of articles about why professionals should use social media, but very few about why you may not want to. The truth is that most people, professionals and social-only users, flip-flop between having public profiles and wanting to go into hiding – how many people do you know who have temporarily deactivated their Facebook account? Some business owners may not have the choice, but most still beg the question: to connect or not to connect?
1) You just kinda want to disappear
We get it – that’s the same appeal that vacations have, the getting away-ness. For people who are more on the private side, or who have a job or identity they feel more comfortable protecting, social media feels like a glaring white light. However, if you’re currently looking for a job, you really should be prevalent on LinkedIn, and if you’re any type of public figure (a local journalist, late-night DJ, radio personality), you need to have some type of online presence.
2) Sure, you have customers, you just don’t care what they have to say
If you hear one more complaint, you’ll lose it, right? After all, ignoring the problem means it’ll eventually fade away on its own. Not exactly. The bottom line is that if you want to keep your customers, you need to address their concerns. Remind yourself that all businesses have unhappy customers from time to time – the key is facing it.
3) You’re way too busy to take on new customers
Good for you! It’s a great feeling when your plate’s full and you have the opportunity to turn down work you weren’t really jazzed about in the first place. Why put yourself out there when you just have to say “no” to the next client who comes knocking? Well, for one, repeating your business message now could mean a new client later, like when your work load’s drying up and you need the income. Plus, your current customers don’t want to see you dipping in and out of availability, especially if they’re recommending you to their friends.
4) You’re just giving your competition a head start
After waiting in the background, you’re going to sneak attack the public and surprise your competitor. It’s kind of a good idea, but you don’t want to be completely invisible while your main competition is snagging all your potential customers. Start slow and steady by carefully building an online presence. You can still stay out of the buzz while monitoring what’s going on. If you wait too long to introduce yourself to the market, though, your audience may not notice you at all when you finally make your grand entrance.
5) Social media is a total waste of time
If your co-worker in the cubicle next to yours spends one more lunch hour snort-laughing at cat videos on YouTube, you’re going to up and quit. Not all social media is playing silly games on Facebook and trash-talking D-list celebrities with other reality TV addicts, though. You may have better things to do than waste hours on social media every day, but if you market yourself in snippets, you’ll make a splash without using up your whole day. Scroll through your Instagram feed as you wait for the coffee to perk in the morning, Tweet a few clever tidbits as your SUV rolls through the car wash, and comment on two or three Facebook posts while you wait in line at the grocery store. In one day you’ve hit three social media platforms without wasting a minute.
Jason Bayless is a professional blogger that gives small business and entrepreneurs SEO advice. He writes for BestSEOCompanies.com, a nationally recognized comparison website of the best SEO services in the United States.
