Archived post. Originally published 8.24.2010.

Let’s start with a personal story:

5 months ago, I dropped a really, really well-paying, full-time job and launched Red Plate Marketing. Hands down, it has been the scariest and most thrilling thing I’ve ever done in my professional life.  Frankly, I had no business quitting my job and starting off into the unknown – two small children, a mortgage, and a grocery bill that outweighs the national deficit all depend on me to support them.

It was a scary change. I got over it. Looking back now, I could not have made a better decision.

I tell you this story to tell you another one.

There are still brands and companies out there that refuse to participate, in even the smallest way, in social media.

Do you need to sit down for a minute? It’s ok – I’ll wait.

Now, let me preface this by stating for the record that I do not believe that all social media is right for everyone. Not everyone needs a Facebook page, Twitter feed, or the like. However, I do believe that every company and brand can benefit from a tailored blend of social media tools that can activate and motivate your audience to move your message forward.

Agreed? Awesome.

So why are these companies still refusing to even test out new social media platforms to engage their audience? Well, change is scary. The uncertainty of the unknown can immobilize progress.

Yes, change is scary, but you have to get over it. I’ll be the first to attest that the benefits and rewards that you can reap on the other side far outweigh the reasons to stay put.

While the refusals can vary as widely from “it’s a fad” to “I don’t have time to write,” there are a few objections to incorporating social media tactics that are common among these companies, including:

1. We can’t control it.
   No, you can’t always control your message, and really, who wants to? It’s exhausting.  Any new marketing platform, especially those that enable direct interaction with your audience, takes a level of control out of your messaging.
   
   But think about it for a second – could you really control your messaging in the first place? Can you control what a reporter writes about you? Can you really control what a customer says about you to a peer? No, you can’t. So drop the shackles and open up. You have no idea how far your message and insight go when you’re not standing in your own way.
   
   
2. There is no value in this.
   Imagine trying to broach the conversation of starting a Facebook page with someone who isn’t in marketing. If you’re talking to a parent, they’re most likely picturing their son’s Mafia Wars games and all of the pictures that they were never supposed to see from spring break last year. Sort of hard to translate how that works in business, no?
   
   So skip the chunky dialogue about SEO and metrics for a second and try to think about social media this way: It allows you to forge deeper relationships with your people. The more transparent, communicative, and open you are, the more approachable you will become to the people that matter.
   
   
3. We’ve tried it before and it doesn’t work.
   If I had $1 dollar for every time that I’ve heard this, I would have no need to work. I would be firmly planted on a dock by a lake somewhere, soaking up guilty-pleasure Dean Koontz books.*
   
   The best response I can give to this objection is that just because it failed once, does not mean it will fail again. If you believe enough in the cause, take a lesson from the failure and demonstrate how you will never allow this to happen again. Not only is this good marketing management, it’s really just good business sense.
   
   
4. What if we screw up?
   Of course, they don’t say ‘we,’ do they.
   
   I read a great quote the other day from Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo!, whose motto is to “Fail Fast Forward.” If you screw up, so what – learn quickly from your mistakes, and keep moving forward. No growth can be achieved by sitting on the sidelines.
   
   
5. What if our competitors see it?
   This is really one of my favorites.
   
   For some reason, companies go through a phase where their competition can know nothing of what they do. Maybe their investors pull them aside and threaten to beat their puppies if word gets out that they (gulp!) launched a new product. Or maybe they’ve been burned in the past by a sales person that had a bit too much to drink and shared something super-nuclear with their friendly competitor.
   
   Whatever the case may be, you cannot stop communicating with your audience purely out of the fear that the competition might get wind of it. And quite frankly, if you get there before they do, you are given that much more time to establish the conversation.
   
   Look at it this way – whether it’s a newsletter, a blog, or an article, your competition is going to see it. Your best bet is to stay focused on the audiences that really matter – your customers, your influencers, and your prospects.
   
   
6. We don’t want our employees wasting their time with this.
   Now, there are two sides to this coin – we don’t want our marketing people to take their eye off the ball, and we don’t want our other employees wasting time online.
   
   Let’s start with the first half of the objection: Good program management on part of any marketer involves the distinct ability to multi-task and deftly integrate marketing tactics so they produce one cohesive vision. Besides that, all of your marketing should be geared toward opening and defining a two-way conversation. Social media is just one more platform to add to the mix.
   
   Now, for the second half of the argument. I am in agreement that online activities can be a complete time-suck. That’s for your HR team to figure out. However, to argue that you do not want to incorporate a blog or other social media means into your marketing program because you’re afraid that your employees might spend time online and read it is a bit misguided. I know of no better way to educate your team than by giving them easy access to your thoughts, news and updates online.

Net net, while it can be a seemingly overwhelming and scary task to incorporate social media into a marketing strategy, get over it. The benefits that open and transparent communication offer far outweigh the safety of the sidelines.

*Don’t lie to me. I know you love him too.