Sure, social media is a free and, if done well, effective way to find new customers and deepen relationships with existing clients. For many small business owners, though, posting and tweeting is just more stuff to add to the already impossible to-do list. Still, you need someone to monitor follower’s posts. A social media expert can show you the ropes and come up with a strategy, but unless they know your business inside and out, they shouldn’t be the voice of the company.
And be aware that there are plenty so-called consultants who aren’t worth their fees. “Just because you know how to take bread out of the freezer doesn’t mean you know how to make a good sandwich,” says Shankman. Translation: Knowing one’s way around Facebook isn’t the same as knowing how to turn virtual touches into real dollars. Likewise, don’t hand the Facebook password to the college intern and forget about it.
To find a middle ground, develop a detailed social media strategy and dedicate some of the work to trusted employees, says Dan Cohen, a lecturer at Cornell University’s ILR School and director of the university’s eLab incubator. “You just have to make sure that what is being tweeted and posted is consistent with the brand you want to build,” he says. While you’re at it, make sure those employees understand that their personal profiles and the company’s social media efforts may at times overlap. They’ll need to set up a separate Facebook persona or maybe rethink that profile picture at the beach.