Realistic Expectations for Social Media

by Natalie Johnson

Upon beginning work here at CFS one of my main tasks was to monitor the social media for the company.  The opportunity was exciting for me because although I personally have both Facebook and Twitter accounts I do not use them exactly the same way a business does, and I was curious to see their impact.  Being a 21 year-old currently attending college I know that social media is a part of the future of many businesses and I wanted to do my best to use it to spread awareness about CFS to as many people as possible.   So, needless to say, I had some big expectations for how social media could help CFS. 

The first few days of following Twitter were both exciting and intimidating.  Exciting because there are many opportunities to promote the company, and intimidating because there are a vast number of well qualified bloggers to follow and re-tweet.  I soon realized that in order to properly post I needed to do some research on CFS as well as its followers and the sales market in general.   As a result I ended up discussing the purpose of social media with family, friends and other people in the business.

During these conversations I often get asked what social media actually does for a company. And before I even have the chance to answer, the inquisitor usually offers their own opinion that it “seems like a waste of time,” or is “not going to benefit the company.”  Now, I understand that for many people social media does seem like a waste of time, and these questions have even led me to doubt its function, but in my opinion that all changes once one learns its benefits. 

As a result, a month after researching, tweeting, re-tweeting, and endless learning, I have a much more realistic view of what social media does for a company, and expectations for its future with CFS. 

Social media offers companies the opportunity to be up-to-date on current trends as they are born, remain updated on what their competitors consider important, and in the case of CFS, constantly learn about best sales practices. The knowledge base I have gained from monitoring social media has allowed me to contribute in a meaningful way to the team, and pretty quickly bring me up to speed on the sales market without someone having to take the time out of their busy schedule to explain it all to me.  

As far as future expectations for my social media goals, I am keeping realistic expectations, but I am constantly looking to expand and of course, continue learning. 

Help me meet my expectations and yours as well, and follow us at CFSPlayBook on Twitter and find us at Criteria for Success, Inc on Facebook!