One of the main pitfalls that we Social Media professionals encounter when it comes to evangelizing and spreading the Gospel of Social Networks are the skeptics.

These are people who think that social platforms and, in general, social networks, are nothing more than a hoax, a way of throwing money and a real joke, ignoring and squandering the full potential of these new channels that are open to facilitate the customer-brand relationship.

However, there are other types of entrepreneurs who know social networks by reference to someone they know who has a profile on Facebook or Twitter, and who knows how to use it, but who can not explain what they are for. These people are the typical ones that open a profile in the Social Networks and that later leave them abandoned before the ignorance of their possibilities.

But, without any doubt, the worst inconvenience is the businessman who agrees to give the dospuntocero a chance in his company because he thinks he has to develop a strategy, which he intends to pay cheaply because deep down he still does not believe it, to try get huge profits in a matter of, at most, a couple of months.

There is a thought, an incorrect thought, more widespread than we would like: that Social Networks are the cure of San Benito for our business.

Error. Big mistake.

Before undertaking the actions of a strategy in Social Media, we must have that strategy, and, prior to that strategy, there has to be a study and a complex analysis of the brand, the product, the competition and our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, knowing what objectives we intend to achieve … and all that is not done from one day to the next, it requires time to do it well. After that analysis is when we must define the strategy, decide where we are going to be and how.

Social Media is not magic, gentlemen, it requires a lot of effort and work, a job that is often tedious, and requires the involvement, not only of the person responsible for the management of social profiles, but of the entire fabric of the company, since They will be your best ambassadors. Analytics are necessary in many aspects, and to follow very closely, almost intimately, we could say, to the community, which is much more than a group of followers on Twitter.

To achieve the long-awaited engagement, it is necessary to add value to our audience, establish a trusting relationship so that they know they can trust us and that we are there for whatever they need. We must be empathic and think that any criticism directed towards us should not affect us personally.

We must be one of them. And that requires effort, work and time. If we are not going to make an effort, we dedicate our time to other things.