23 Aug Is Social Media Toxic?
By Lindsey Germono
When did social media get such a bad reputation?
Last month I attended a meeting and the topic of social media came up and the word toxic was used. That startled me. I like social media. I also like using it to communicate and connect with people. I like videos of puppies, seeing posts about traveling to my favorite place on Earth, and educational posts on things that relate to my industry. I don’t feel it is toxic. I’ve made purchases from things I’ve seen on social media and even decided not to make a purchase based on things I’ve seen on social media.
Further…why do people feel negative when we talk about advertising and marketing on social media?
Is it because we feel personally feel overwhelmed when it comes to social media? Are we seeing news on social media and therefore, see social media as a negative space?
You’re making a decision to read this, so let me make it count. Social media is what you make it. You can unfollow people, brands, and media pages. You can seek out the positive people and accounts to follow so when you login, you are provided with something you’ve created for yourself. The more you gravitate to posts that matter to you, the more Facebook and other social media platforms will recognize this and tailor those posts you see appropriately because of technology and bots and science and math. Tired of seeing ads? Click the dropdown and select Hide Ad. That company is paying to target a message to you- let them spend their money on people who want to see that ad.
Whoa. Hang on a second before you get snippy- let’s take that last sentence and think on it as a business owner. If you were a business owner using social media to speak to your customers, would you want your dollars spent on someone who didn’t care to see that advertisement/sponsored post?
In the beginning of this post, I was speaking to all social media users…non-business owners and business owners. Now I want to pull up a chair and speak with you- the business owner. If you’re not a business owner, that’s okay…keep on reading, friend! The party is just getting started and you know I like a good party!
As a business owner or someone in charge of using social media for marketing purposes, approach your social media strategy the same way as I’m guiding you above. Think about how your message comes across and if you would want to see that message. If the answer is no, don’t post it. Anything coming out about your business, you should stand behind 100%. There are no excuses for a post going out that you don’t stand behind or know about. Have your team or agency run their posts by you because you want to make sure you understand the opinion people are forming about your business and most importantly, make sure it aligns with your communication mission.
Be intentional, provide value, and pull followers in so they want to do business with you and recommend you to their Aunt Nancy who just opened a bakery and needs help with their accounting (if you’re in accounting), human resources (if that’s your jam), or advertising and marketing (you know that’s what I do and I have to put that plug in this blog post). Have a plan. Then…and hold onto your seat because I’m about to blow you away…HAVE FUN.
Social media marketing can be FUN and engaging from a marketer’s perspective. I mean it, go out there and have fun. Be authentic. You know why I don’t mind posting a picture of me almost breaking my ankle? Because in my company, we like to have fun and guess what? Our clients gravitate to that. Draws them in. We combine that fun along with our professional expertise and grab onto social media like it’s that new friend we just met at a cookout and found out they like puppies, traveling, and marketing.
If you struggle with how to market your business on social media…you know who to call. We’re here to help and we like to have a little fun while we’re doing it. 757-777-3780.
PC: Kaylee Mitchell, honorary Germono Advertising Company ninja
