#1 – Social Media only works for celebrities or Internet “insiders”.
Is it inspiring or disheartening when you hear of celebrities who have millions Twitter followers? Good grief, even 88 year old Betty White had a half million Facebook friends “like” the idea of her hosting Saturday Night Live! We’ve all thought that the only way to grow a following is to be famous in the frirst place. The reality is actually more manageable than bringing millions of devoted friends and followers to your social media pages. Marketing guru Seth Godin blogs () that all we really need (and can handle) is 150 followers in a “tribe”. You can find 150 friends and followers without a publicist, agent, media manger, or a magazine spread.
Tip: Use your email address book to start making connections through social media.
#2 – I don’t have anything interesting to write about.
Really, if you are devoid of information and ideas, why are you exploring Social Media in the first place?! Stop the self-defeating thoughts. The truth is that you are in business, attached to a cause, or a devotee of something and have the ability to voice your interest, opinion, and facts you learn along the way. If writing long blog articles feel like more than you have to say, remember you have other options like shorter posts on Twitter and Facebook. The core of Social Media is sharing. You will learn new things from those friends you connect with and you can share that with others.
Tip: Use the Retweet button on Twitter and Share button on Facebook to spread the word from your friends and followers posts.
#3 – Planning my social media updates limits my spontaneity.
This myth often sabotages the initial attempts at using social media sites and tanks your plans for frequent blogging and the frequency of other posts. Like most things in life and business, planning means less procrastination and when you do post you’ll have the time to be more thorough with your posts, post more frequently, and share more.
Tip: Use a blogging service, like WordPress, that allows you to schedule your posts. Use a social media service, like Hootsuite, to schedule Tweets.
#4 – I have to read everything.
Anyone would be exhausted by the thought of keeping up with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn , all their friends blogs, and subscriptions to all the popular accounts like Digg, YouTube, De.li.cio.us, etc.. As we reminded you in point #2, you have options. You can exhaust your time and mind by reading everything, read only on scheduled days each week, read nothing at all, or use tools that are featured on many social media accounts to organize what you read. Personally, I have blog posts and tweets delivered to my iGoogle home page so I only visit one place and each day dedicate just a few minutes to read and share posts.
Tip: Use “lists” on Twitter to organize your followers and their tweets.
#5 – I can do social media all by myself.
I often hear from people that they are ready to try their hand at a blog, yet they don’t read nor subscribe to any blogs. Even active bloggers and tweeters forget that sharing and commenting are essential to the success of social media. The key to social media is in the phrasing; It’s SOCIAL! Your success with social media relies upon building a network of connections; not only friends and followers, but through participating in their social media efforts. The truth: You can’t go it alone.
Tip: Set aside 5 minutes each day just to comment on blog posts or to share them on sites like Digg.com
Working with Design to Spec, you’ll see how easy it is to handle your social media activities, as we tell you how to make the most of your time and efforts.
