What to do if you’re “just not into social media”

Editor’s Note: I’m glad that I’m into social media. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met today’s guest blogger Antonia Harler, known as @antwizzel on Twitter. This topic is particularly relevant to me … a friend was asking me this very question last week. My comments follow. And here’s Antonia … take it away, antwizzel!

Let’s face it. Not everyone is born a natural communicator and not everyone is passionate about social media.

So if social media is not a fad (doesn’t seem to be) and it’s something businesses need to pay attention to, what do you do if you’re “just not into social media”?

Your social media effort is going to be successful only if you are truly devoted to it. Which is a bit circular. How can you devote yourself to something you don’t like and aren’t convinced is going to help you?

Generally when I’m asked, “What do I do if I’m not passionate about something?” my answer is “Don’t do it.” Life is too short to waste your time on something you aren’t passionate about.

But we are talking about business – and business isn’t always hearts and roses. Sometimes we need to do things we aren’t passionate about in order to succeed.

This post isn’t about the “why” but much more about the “how.” This post isn’t about strategy or what you need to do for it to work. It’s about how you are going to find your inner social media buddy.

Start with a self assessment.

How social are you in your private life? Parties all the time? Every once in a while? Or do you simply enjoy being by yourself and not face people? Trust me, you’ll find all types on the social web. There are the social media fanatics, the semi-regular users and the ones that sign up because they feel they have to and never use their account.

The social web isn’t the complete opposite of real life. It’s important for you to understand that the social web is an online reflection of your real life.

Try to find the fun in it.

Are you tweeting for your business and think it needs to be entirely about your business endeavors in order to succeed? Stop that train of thought right there. It is not. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.

Do you read a lot on the Internet? Almost every site now has a Tweet or Facebook Share button. Joe has them here on this post. Like my article? It’s one click … share it! If you find it interesting, chances are others will too. That in turn will be the start of great relationships with your fellow Tweeters and Facebookers, which might get you new clients.

The majority of content shared on the social web is interesting or fun. We all need a good laugh from time to time.

Interact. Be social.

I’m well aware that we aren’t all programmed that way. And no one says you need to be present for hours every day of the week. You don’t.

Find a schedule that’s right for you and stick to it. If you tweet twice a day but they are awesome tweets, tweet twice a day. If you blog once a week but its mind-blowing content, blog once a week.

The most important thing is that you have fun with it and that you stay consistent. Consistency is key. People will get used to what you are doing on the social web. Don’t let them down. It can backfire faster than you can tweet.

But what if, for the life of you, you still aren’t enjoying social media?

That’s one question that’s easy to answer. Don’t do it.

Find someone in your business who is as passionate as you are about your company and products but also enjoys social media and is convinced that it’s an outlet that will help your cause. There’s nothing worse than someone doing something they absolutely hate. It’s a recipe for disaster. You’ll be miserable and your business won’t be represented well.

If you don’t have the luxury of employing someone that is going to do it for you, you need to ask yourself the question if social media is a must for you. It’s not for everyone.

If there are other ways you can promote your business and kick ass at them it’s probably better for you to choose that path. Kicking some serious butt is what you want and need to do. It doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you do it.

Antonia Harler (@antwizzel on Twitter) wrote her thesis on Twitter for Relationship Marketing. She tells me Austrians (where she’s from) don’t use social media as much as people in the states so she built her work up from scratch (and keeps crazy hours to be online while her American counterparts are). She’s looking for social media marketing opportunities in the UK and, in the meanwhile, encourages you to engage her on a consulting basis. Visit her blog www.socialglitz.com and join her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/socialglitz.

Photo credit: Sugarock99