Each time a new social media site or platform comes out, my printer friends ask me if they should join. If you’re a compulsive joiner — or have “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) like I do — then join everything!
If you’re not a compulsive joiner and have bigger business goals, here are 10 considerations when evaluating a new social media platform:
1. Do you want to claim your name or business name? If so, grab an account and name it. I remember joining Twitter for that reason. I didn’t know much about it, but I had already lost out on being THE Sandy Hubbard on LinkedIn, and I didn’t want that to happen again.
2. Are your customers on the new platform? Even if you don’t know how to interact or whether it will be worthwhile, open an account, see what your customers are doing, share their content when appropriate, and be social. If your customers are designers, they like social places where they can share ideas and photos, so go admire their work and get to know them better.
3. Are your prospects there? And if they’re there, are they experimenting or letting down their guard on the new platform? You can glean important insights in these early days of a new social media site. Also, the crowd is smaller, so you can stand out. If the site is by invitation only, being part of an exclusive or beta group with customers and prospects can be a bonding experience with other early adopters.
4. Are you known for being a social media leader? If so, by all means, get an account and interact with other leaders who are getting to know the new platform. Listen to what they’re saying about how to use it best and offer your own perspective. Let your various networks know you are jumping in so other brave souls will come along with you.
5. Do you have strong, well-established social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter? If so, you can ramp up quickly just about anywhere. You’ll be able to locate your regular connections quickly on most new platforms, and you’ll already know what kinds of people make a good circle of friends for you and your brand.
6. Are your prospects and customers “young” (however you define that), young at heart, or have children and a network of young people? Those of us who have teenagers know it’s important to check out the platforms where our kids hang out. If you’re there anyway, look around for business potential. I remember back when I joined Snapchat to understand where my kids were hanging out. (I still don’t get it!)
7. Are your colleagues talking about the new platform? Networking with co-workers, competitors, and colleagues is a good reason to join a new social media platform. I joined LinkedIn for that purpose in 2007 (forever ago!), and it was fun to connect with professional people from my former jobs and college.
8. Do you enjoy games and apps that appeal to your creative and competitive side? Joining a new platform involves ingenuity, problem-solving, and persistence. It can be satisfying to unravel a new tool and figure out how to get the most out of it. Social media platforms that roll out new features and change their interfaces can be frustrating for some users — and fun for people like me.
9. Are you an introvert? This may seem surprising, but we introverts actually do enjoy social media platforms. We can control how and when we interact with people, and we can take a mental break when we’ve had enough. Many of my introverted friends and I began relationships online that were door-openers to offline friendships. People who excel at Twitter chats are often quiet in real life.
10. Are you a natural teacher and leader? If people look to you to learn things and explain what you’ve discovered, you can serve your audience by vetting new platforms and reporting back.
Social media platforms come and go. Not every single one will be the right fit or worth the effort, especially for printing companies that are trying to maintain a level of business professionalism. For me, I hate being left out, as I mentioned above, so — for FOMO reasons — I am always seeking the next new thing.
For printers, if the above 10 items pass the test, then the answer to “Should I join a new social media platform?” is “Sure, why not!”
See you there!
As a consulting advisor to the C-Suite, Sandy Hubbard helps print, tech, and media companies grow through strategic sales, strong marketing, efficient operations, better teamwork, and executive acumen. If you own a printing company that’s on an upward growth curve, let’s talk!
GROUP PORTRAIT BY Jayel Aheram
