Can being social be anti-social?

As business owners, we often wear many hats and must complete many tasks, particularly if you are a small or boutique business. We are quite often the manager, the bookkeeper, the advertising and marketing guru and the technician all rolled into one, which brings me to the subject of managing websites and social media platforms.

Finding the time to keep on top of all this takes a lot of time and dedication. To be frank, for small businesses or sole traders who may not have an office manager or personal assistant there are just not enough hours in the day to cover it all. The problem is, not staying on top of it can reflect on our business which makes me wonder about how much we need to post on social media or update our websites.

We all know it can be frustrating when you go to a website and it hasn’t been updated for years. However, it’s another task to put on the ‘to-do’ list and sadly we can pay a high for such neglect if customers move on to another site. The truth is they may select another business who has a great website and up to date social media platforms but this does not necessarily reflect the quality of the work at the coal face.

Recently I saw a review of a business that was given a star rating (1/5) because the business was closed when the customer visited the premises. There was only one other review which was a great review and rated 5/5. Because of the one star rating, it gave the overall business a 2.5/5 rating which is probably not a true reflection of the service that is provided by this company. I don’t know if the customer tried to ring or checked the website or if in fact if the website indicated they may not be in attendance during business hours. It was a service business and they were out working at the time and not in the position to be able to take calls. Perhaps at the very least in these situations, you could use a call answering service. If you do not update your website often, then make sure the information on it is accurate and informative.

With social media sites, most reviews are positive and can be great for your business as are testimonials on websites, but like the business I mentioned above, one bad review can be shattering. If time is an issue, factor it in and set aside even one hour a week/fortnight/month that is dedicated to posting. Or engage someone else to do it for you.

It is worth thinking about. Social media can be a very useful tool, but it can also be anti-social when uninformed people use it to vent their anger or frustration and worst of all they may not even use their real name, they can post under any name. If this happens, respond to it immediately. Be positive and courteous, even if the person posting is not.

I hope business is booming for everyone. I am preparing to go to Singapore to attend a garden show, so I hope to return with some good news and images. Singapore is known as the city in a garden and they certainly do it well.

Stay tuned!

Karen Smith

IPA President