What Social Media Can’t Do

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Whether your firm is large or small, it's likely that social media has taken your marketing department (if not your entire company) by storm. To many, social media represents a sort of panacea: "How can we lose with instant connections with millions of potential customers day or night?" Right? Wrong.

Social media does offer creative and effective tactics for connecting and engaging with folks all over the world. But without a plan, it can be a long, bumpy road.

Denise Zimmerman of iMEDIA Connections recently wrote a great post called “7 Things Social Media Can’t Do.” In the post, Denise includes great tips for understanding how social media affects your business, such as:

• Social media can't substitute for marketing strategy.
• Social media can't change the inherent popularity, appeal, or success of your brand.
• Social media can't be successful without a realistic level of investment.

Without effort, resources and a clear strategy, social media alone won’t solve your problems.  But once you understand what it can’t do, you’ll have a better appreciation of what it can do.

Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.