I’ve heard more excuses than I care to list about why folks aren’t using social media to grow their business.  One of my favorites is the one that goes something like My kid’s on Facebook (or MySpace or Twitter – insert favorite social network here)… Why in the world would I want to be?

This excuse, in particular, gives me the chance to educate the person about the power and reach of social networks.  Let’s face it, the “change” is here to stay.  Here’s the skinny according to Quantcast:

About 23 million people in the USA use Twitter every month
44% of them (roughly 10 million) are between 18 and 34
Another 33% (about 8 million) are between 35 and 49

Facebook sees 11 million visitors between the ages of 35 and 54 every month.  Are your ideal customers among them?  You may or may not be using social media yourself, but millions of other people are.  According to the Pew Internet American Life Project, the median age of people engaging in social computing broken down by social network are:

• Twitter: 31
• MySpace: 27
• Facebook: 26
• LinkedIn: 40

Surprised?  Are those numbers higher up on the age scale than you anticipated?  The truth is, that even if social media isn’t your thing, it may be your customers’ and prospects’ thing – and that’s what matters.

That being said, social media marketing isn’t a one-size fits all mass marketing effort.  You’ll need a more sophisticated approach if your efforts will ever have a chance at being successful.  You’ll want to target your campaigns to maximize their effectiveness.  So which one is right for you?  That depends on what your goals are and who your target is so do your homework.

• MySpace has a younger audience.  You probably want to shy away from marketing products created for an older crowd (e.g. hearing aids and business books), but if you’re promoting media and entertainment related products, you’re probably in the right place.
• Twitter on the brain?  Ask yourself these 4 questions – if you answer YES to any of them, then Twitter’s probably for you.
• Facebook pages let you build a community around your company, brand and products.  You can also use it to add company news, launch new products, add videos and distribute press releases.  Focus on cultivating your community and let your fans do the promoting on your behalf.

Okay, I’m ready for your next excuse… bring it on!  If you’re still not convinced that social media is good for your business, state your case in the comments section.

Related Articles:

1. How Smart Businesses Join Social Networks
2. Social Media Monitoring Checklist