You’re Invited to a Social Media Party

If you’re a small business owner, you’re probably aware that social media marketing is all the rage right now. Not only is it popular for personal use, but also for savvy business owners looking for ways to market their small businesses efficiently and economically.

But, if you find yourself tentative about jumping into the social media marketing scene, you’re not alone. Marketing through social media platforms is an entirely different experience for most small business owners. And, of course, “different” always causes hesitation.

Interestingly enough, walking into the social media scene is much like walking into a huge cocktail party. In both instances you’re going to meet people of all shapes and sizes.

Here are the seven types of people you’ll meet at any party (or social media platform):

1) Shy and awkward.

This person lurks in the shadows and is afraid to interact with anyone. They stand on the sidelines listening and observing, but are too afraid to step into the party and start meeting people. Unfortunately, by remaining in the background, they’ll never fully appreciate the entire experience.

2) Loud and obnoxious.

You know this one. You can hear their voice booming from miles away. They talk too loud, too much and monopolize the conversations. No one can get a word in edgewise.

3) Life of the party.

These are the people that make you laugh. They have funny stories to tell, crazy comments to make and just make the party more fun. You always look forward to talking with them again. They may get a bit goofy and dance with a lampshade on their head, but you must admit that they always add that extra spice.

4) Know-it-all.

There’s always at least one person at the party who seems to have all the answers. In addition, they aren’t afraid to tell you what you’re doing wrong, how to do it right and why you should listen to them. Always remember that the know-it-all usually doesn’t know-it-all.

5) The bore.

We’ve all been stuck in the corner, at one time or another, with the person who drones on and on about their “Aunt Mary’s blood pressure medication.”  Since there doesn’t seem to be any easy escape, you end up nodding in agreement at their mind-numbing stories for hours on end (desperately hoping that someone will come by and save you).

6) The no-show.

There’s always someone who doesn’t show up. They say that they’ll be there, but “something always comes up.” They RSVP, have the best of intentions but just never quite get their act together.

7) Friendly interactor.

This is what the party is all about. It’s all about the friendly people who ask questions, make you smile, share fun stories and remind you that coming to the party was worth it after all (even if you did have to suffer through a few obnoxious, boring, know-it-alls in the process).

So, in my own experience social media mimics the real world. You just need to decide how you want to be perceived, the type of people you want to gather around and, of course, the type of people you want to avoid.

So, join the party. In the end, you’ll be glad that you did.