How low can you go?

Can you limbo?

So, a while back I was meeting with a Business Director to discuss the use of social media as part of a business strategy the conversation went something like this; “your organisation has great products and ideas but looking at your activity you could be doing so much more to raise your profile and get front and centre of the minds of those people you want to do business with.

I’d taken a look at the activity of the company and its senior figures on Social Media. SM activity was low and limited mainly to likes and comments on other posts with a couple of posts a month from employees. The company page itself was putting out corporate posts about the products. Interaction on these posts was low; 10 to 20 reactions (likes) and no comments. Of these interactions 60% were employed by the company so only 40% (between 4 & 8 people) were external. In other words the company was talking to itself.

I’d also, as part of my research, looked at its companies house filings; for two years running revenue had dropped and this year it was teetering on making a loss. The reality was that unless they did something there was a likelihood that there was trouble ahead.

The CFO’s comments in the annual accounts cited difficulties following the continued impact of covid. The products and services of this company would help other businesses increase their efficiency and reduce costs. So in a market impacted by Covid and all of the other economical and environmental issues of late this company should be getting floods of enquiries…..BUT they were INVISIBLE.

“Furthermore” I said “your revenue is dropping two years running whatever you are doing to secure business isn’t working you need to THINK DIFFERENTLY; you need to give serious consideration to increasing your presence on Social Media, demonstrate the benefits of your work, generate trust in your target sectors and own your digital space”.

Well …… I’ve not been entirely truthful

…… that’s how the conversation would have gone if they had turned up! I was due to speak with the head of Sales and Marketing.

I am genuinely intrigued as to why some Sales and Marketing Professionals are resistant to the use of social media as a tool to generate business, stating that their existing methods are working.

I’m going to light a touch paper here; I think that these positions are fearful that by adopting a business strategy that maximises the use of social media as a way of growing business, strengthening brand and building trust it will put them out of a job. I disagree; these people are exactly who we need to lo lead our businesses through these tough times by advocating a digital and social strategy to take the company forward….and then leading them. In other words, they have the potential to be the architects of their own and their company’s success! They just need to learn the art of Social Selling and Influence as a strategic tool.

Now let’s consider the other option; It’s like playing social limbo with a sword instead of a pole how low are companies prepared to go before heads roll?

It’s a fact that if, for 2 years running, figures are going down they will continue to do so unless something changes or you change something!

Doing nothing is not an option!

#socialimpact #business #change #brand #growth