The Social Media Superhighway

One fundamental question that remains to be answered about Social Media, is whether it is primarily an instrument for change, or a catalyst for action?  Should it be promoting organic change within the company, or should it be spurring sales?

At first glance, this may seem like a simple question, and most professionals would be inclined to answer, “It’s both.”   However, when you deeply consider the strategic implications involved, it is anything but simple.

The larger and more established your company, the more realistic gradual change can seem as a strategy.  To the small entrepreneur, immediate action that translates into immediate sales is often the primary, even the exclusive strategic objective.  Both types of companies must find their way along divergent routes, and must make tactical choices as they go along.

It begs the question, to use the Superhighway analogy, are you driving toward Change, or heading for Action?

The Social Media Superhighway

As you careen along the Internet superhighway, heading toward future economic uncertainty at ever-increasing speed and under less than perfect conditions, making this choice correctly might be the difference between arriving at your destination safely, or driving your business into the ditch.  You find yourself on an unfamiliar road, with poor visibility plus a great deal of traffic and noise, and suddenly you are faced with a driving dilemma:  Turn right toward Action, or left toward Change.  Whatever your ultimate best route, at that point you are forced to decide upon one direction or the other.  You cannot choose both.  And you have very little time to decide.

So, which do you choose?  And what criteria do you use to make your decision?  In a business context, does it matter if you represent a major company or if you are a struggling entrepreneur?  Of course it does.  Here are some of the most important considerations:

It first depends upon the car you are driving.  Carrying the highway analogy a bit further, if you are driving a cross-country trailer rig, powerful and well-insured by your parent corporation, your options are many.  If you make the wrong choice initially, you will have the resources to make corrections later.  Plus, it is likely that your company has done the proper research, has prepared you with the best maps, and has thought about contingencies.

Alternatively, if you are in a small car, with your family and all of your belongings aboard, your choices are more limited.  If you make the wrong choice you might not have the resources to try again.  There is very little research available to help an entrepreneur negotiate the many turns and blind alleys of Social Media.  Proper maps are virtually non-existent.  As for contingency plans, those are luxuries seldom available to a small business.

It depends upon how well you planned your trip. Planning is crucial no matter what you’re driving, how much support you enjoy, and how many skills you have developed along the way.  But for the entrepreneur, planning is more than crucial, it is essential.  There is seldom any margin for error when every decision can make or break your company.

At the same time, planning is often viewed by the entrepreneur with disdain, as it is seen as a diversion from more direct progress.  This can be a fatal mistake.  In Social Media, you must know in advance what you hope to accomplish, how to mentally monetize results in the absence of initial sales, and how to measure success and failure.

It depends upon your level of skill. Skill is what keeps you on the road and out of the ditch.  The smaller you are, the less forgiving the road.  There is absolutely no alternative but to know what you’re doing.  Understanding Social Media is not a luxury item if you expect to survive, it is a prerequisite to success.  You can hire the skill if yours is lacking, but keep in mind that somewhere along the road you must be able to drive the car yourself.

It depends upon how well you are prepared emotionally. This is a tough one to master, especially for the entrepreneur.  Equanimity under pressure is much easier if you have a large company backstopping you.  If every decision amounts to life-and-death for the business, as it often does for the entrepreneur, the pressure can be nightmarish and unrelenting.  Your only choice can be to buckle your seat belt and to keep your eyes unswervingly on the road.

It depends upon the quality of your relief-driver. Of course, having back-up drivers is always a good idea.  This can be your partners, your investors, your family, friends or professional advisers, but whomever you choose make sure that they are up to the task.  If you are to get any real relief, so that you can catch a wink or two of sleep, you must be confident that they can drive in your place.

Ultimately, every driver must be an expert.  Whatever your starting place, in a mega-corporation or working out of your car, you are going to be responsible for results.  You must keep both hands on the wheel.  There are no shortcuts.

If you are an entrepreneur, take pleasure in knowing that once you develop more experience, once you know the rules of the road, and once you learn to drive defensively, you will get to where you’re going.  And here’s the clincher:  When you get there you will own the car.

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