The Big Debate: Is social media a waste of time for business? A retrospective

Sophie Turton is assistant web editor at Crunch Accounting. Here she gives us a breakdown of the evening and the discussions that took place.

Social media is a hot topic in business - some companies utilise the variety of online tools available to really make social networks pay, while others shy away from the boisterous, voyeuristic nature of constant status updates and retweets. In light of this divide, a selection of Brighton’s brightest entrepreneurs gathered at City College on Wednesday to debate the question: ‘Is social media a waste of time for business?’

The big debate, compèred by Steve Bustin, was framed by three speakers who argued for and against the motion. Nick Barlow, head of social media at Small Batch Coffee, started with the poignant point: “Social media is not a choice, but a necessity.”

Social media was the most effective way for Small Batch to reach the public - with no budget, complex digital marketing strategies were out of the question. Facebook and Twitter allowed them to target their market and get the brand out there for absolutely no extra cost. It also meant they could focus on the ‘real’ aspect of their business, giving their brand personality by building the Small Batch voice in a non-corporate manner. “Facebook is like an extended word of mouth,” Nick told the audience. He concluded that social media is not a waste of time and is in fact an integral part of his company.

Daren Howarth from C Level spoke of social media being part of the bigger picture and not just another tool in the marketing box. There is a chance, he said, for businesses to really up their game by getting stories out there and sharing experiences. Social media, if used properly, is an opportunity to demonstrate authenticity and engage people from all around the world in one virtual space, where important conversations can be generated and movements begun. Daren advised businesses to think about what they have to say and why anyone would want to listen before posting anything on social media. He concluded by turning the question around: “Is business a waste of time for social media?”

Social media is a fantastic platform to share ideas in the public space. Through it, you can open doors that provide insight into lives and thought processes that would otherwise remain hidden. Adrian Swinscoe from RARE Business and Building the Bridge, an organisation that help young people find work, began his talk with a quote from his favourite blogger - “Nobody gave a hoot about me before they could see what was inside my head.” He explained how businesses once had to buy trust and now must earn it and they can do so by being generous with what they know. The key is in ‘social’, it is a two way street and Adrian believes those that think social media is a waste of time are doing it wrong.

Only 5% of the audience said they don’t use social media for their jobs, going some way to demonstrate the weight social media has gained in business. However, it should also be noted that many audience members worked specifically in media or marketing-based industries where social media is a necessary tool. None-the-less, no one in the audience at this point said they felt social media was a waste of time.

So what about social media and the self? Facebook in particular has gained criticism for it’s exploitation of people’s narcissistic tendencies, yet successful social platforms used in a business context must remove this me-centric vision because, as Adrian simply put it, people get bored. Instead, the trick to a truly fantastic social media campaign is to understand what your audience want, how best they will engage with it and then give it to them. One audience member said, “Social media is a fantastic way of sharing content but that content has to be powerful, useful and shareable, otherwise it will be a waste of time.”

Another audience member said social media is the second biggest revenue generator for his business after word of mouth. However, a few members who don’t use social media pointed out that if your target market isn’t using the platforms then there’s little point in the company using it either.

A large issue many professionals take with social media is the amount of time spent on building communities and posting on networks. About 10% of the audience spent over five hours a day on Facebook and Twitter, the majority spent 1-3 hours and a very small percentage never went on at all. Sam from Cleartime Business advised the audience to make sure they’re managing social media and not it managing them. There are a range of tools that can also help you build and manage a community, while keeping on top of your time - Hootsuite and Sprout Social are two of my favourites.

Other fears related to the visibility of customer complaints. Social media does give a soap box for customers to complain, Nick Barlow said, but if used effectively you can turn those complaints into opportunities to impress people.

Some saw social media as a way to network. Julie Roff from ABC translations said she follows people, has a list set-up of conversations about what other professionals have been doing as a way to keep in touch with people she meets at the Chamber or through her work.  

Social media is also used as an advertising tool - for one business, advertising on Facebook brought in more traffic than Google Adwords and was a much more effective campaign in terms of interaction and leads. Vicky from Plus Accounting also experienced success by advertising accountancy workshops and surgeries on Facebook, without boosting the post, and filling spaces for no extra cost. On the other hand, Small Batch found the £500 Facebook ad campaign for their latest video didn’t do much to boost views, so the success seems to vary depending on the industry.

In the end, all but one said social media is not a waste of time for business but instead can be an important and useful tool for some industries. Most acknowledged the importance of staying on top of digital trends in order to stay ahead. Social platforms are a powerful tool and, as more and more options become available, this is an exciting time for businesses to experiment with their marketing practises, while building a strong and loyal community around their brand.
 

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