There is no doubt that Facebook is hugely beneficial, and for most businesses it has helped them launch and gather new business and custom, and best of all its mostly free. However Facebook presents the inevitable cons which can actually harm small businesses and block progress:
Comparisons…
It is great to network with fellow businesses on Facebook, you can find opportunities you might never have otherwise come across and you can build relationships with potential stockists and customers, however, in the world of Facebook where people and businesses write statuses telling the world about themselves and what they have achieved, it can become overwhelming for some to see how well everybody else is achieving when you might be going through a bad stage yourself or setting up and finding progress slow.
Comparing yourself to others is something we all do. It is likely you will enter your business into a competition, apply for a show, exhibition or stockist or for other opportunities yet not succeed but face seeing those that did succeed express their joy through Facebook. Rejection is difficult to deal with alone without seeing those that did succeed announce the good news. It becomes even tougher when you see the same businesses seem to get opportunity after opportunity after opportunity. After all, no one ever states the bad through Facebook, so it’s easy to assume things are going perfectly well for everyone else, while you struggle and receive knock backs.
Time wasting…
Just as we find ourselves procrastinating when using Facebook for personal use, it can also lead to valuable time loss when we are using it for marketing and research use. Businesses must carefully plan their day so this valuable time is spent wisely. Some find it useful to put a cap on their time spent on Facebook per day, while others update their status and return later to respond to feedback, maybe limiting their Facebook use to twice or once a day so they avoid distractions. Whatever you choose to do, don’t waste your time, everything you do through your social media accounts must benefit your business in some way.
Lazy marketing…
Marketing your business is important. Facebook reaches a small amount of people, but not enough to leave Facebook to do all the hard marketing work for you.
You can market your business in so many other ways, newspaper features, guest blog posts, website feature slots, radio adverts, leafleting, or by sending out emails. Far too many businesses fail to think outside the box and stick to Facebook only. It is a fantastic marketing tool as its free or affordable even if you do pay to promote posts, but you must use it alongside other marketing methods to truly drum up business.
Complaints…
No matter who you are or what you do, you can’t please everyone. You will most likely get some negative feedback, or someone who isn’t keen on a new product. As with all criticism, it has to be taken on board, but you must never allow it to defeat you and ruin your progress. It is likely that one bad comment will stick out in your mind from over a hundred good, this is natural, so prepare for this and never let it interfere with your future posts or your attitude towards your business.
‘Like’ obsession…
Far too many businesses become obsessed with the amount of ‘likes’ they have. In reality it’s the quality of your ‘likes’ not the quantity that matters. You want to be reaching out to an audience who admire your business and products rather than fake accounts, or people who don’t intend to ever purchase from you or even have an interest in the growth of your business.
Facebook is fantastic if utilized properly. Businesses must use it to gain customers, market themselves and network within their industry, yet avoid the pitfalls. You need to understand that while another business might seem to be doing extremely well, in reality, they too will have received several knock backs and fallen upon hard times also, just like you.
Be positive about what you do, and don’t be afraid to shout out about your successes. Most importantly, never let anybody else’s criticism or negativity tarnish your enthusiasm and passion or throw you off your path to success.
About the author: Kirsten runs her own business Kirsten Hendrich Jewellery. She has her own business Facebook page and has to spend her time wisely balancing all aspect of the business to make it succeed.
