Are social media really necessary for marketing? Thread poster: Silvia Barra (X)
|
|---|
Silvia Barra (X) 
Italy
Local time: 05:03
English to Italian
+ ...
Hi all,
I'm doing a sort of restyling on my marketing material and I read everywhere that social media are useful to attract and possibily get more clients.
I'm not confuting that, but my problem is lack of time.
I have my own website, I had a blog for some years, I'm on LinkedIn, but I do not use Twitter, Facebook and other media. I think that being connected (I mean really connected, i.e. writing useful and interesting posts) requires a lot of time, which unfort... See more Hi all,
I'm doing a sort of restyling on my marketing material and I read everywhere that social media are useful to attract and possibily get more clients.
I'm not confuting that, but my problem is lack of time.
I have my own website, I had a blog for some years, I'm on LinkedIn, but I do not use Twitter, Facebook and other media. I think that being connected (I mean really connected, i.e. writing useful and interesting posts) requires a lot of time, which unfortunately I have not.
So I'd like to ask you, based on your experience whether being on social media is really necessary for marketing our services. I was wondering about opening a Facebook account, I mean a professional one, but I fear not to be able to update it regularly.
Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts and experience.
Silvia ▲ Collapse
| | | |
No, they are not, such questions exemplify a stylistic hyperbole which is also a simplified heuristic to make a problem easier than it really is (but if you do that, it'll become more difficult), a common weakness in human thinking. The only think really necessary for marketing is efficiency. Any marketing that actually works, works. If you have a good turnover at good rates, it means your marketing is working, even if it's a spontaneous word-of-mouth sort of marketing which is done for your by ... See more No, they are not, such questions exemplify a stylistic hyperbole which is also a simplified heuristic to make a problem easier than it really is (but if you do that, it'll become more difficult), a common weakness in human thinking. The only think really necessary for marketing is efficiency. Any marketing that actually works, works. If you have a good turnover at good rates, it means your marketing is working, even if it's a spontaneous word-of-mouth sort of marketing which is done for your by your clients without you even being aware that it is taking place, or some sort of passive marketing by your brand which you might not even be consciously creating and developing.
Yeah, I'm a fan of organic marketing.
So, why I don't actually agree with her on everything, and my personal perspective on a couple of things is vastly different, I do think you may want to check out Marta's website and her Business School for Translators.
[Edited at 2014-01-14 14:51 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Joakim Braun
Sweden
Local time: 05:03
German to Swedish
+ ...
| Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 23:03
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I don't think so | Jan 14, 2014 |
At least not "necessary". Helpful? Perhaps. I've seen some colleagues get good results, but they know what they're doing.
Maybe I'm missing out on something by not jumping on the bandwagon (besides having a LinkedIn profile), but I don't have the time... nor the skills, if I'm being honest.
Greetings!
[Edited at 2014-01-14 18:30 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
| Not for me either | Jan 14, 2014 |
I have joined several translation-related groups on LinkedIn, and a few jobs come that way.
You need to concentrate your efforts on wherever people will look for translators - or whatever else you are offering, for that matter. My impression is that the social media are too diffuse - everyone uses them for everything. As you say, you would probably have to spend a lot of time producing a quality blog or something like that in order to be found.
I don't have time for it... See more I have joined several translation-related groups on LinkedIn, and a few jobs come that way.
You need to concentrate your efforts on wherever people will look for translators - or whatever else you are offering, for that matter. My impression is that the social media are too diffuse - everyone uses them for everything. As you say, you would probably have to spend a lot of time producing a quality blog or something like that in order to be found.
I don't have time for it, and I am not systematic enough.
I owe most of my work directly or indirectly to this site, though a lot comes fairly indirectly after ten years' membership, via my network of colleagues. Don't underestimate the effect of powwows. One-day courses and other places where professionals meet face to face are worth attending too. I have found some super colleagues at powwows, people I could ask for advice or recommend to clients... and it goes both ways.
One or two clients have found me on the CIoL site, and a few have found me through my network of former in-house colleagues.
You have to make yourself visible, and draw up your profile of specialist areas with a USP, but doing it where potential clients will look is most important.
Best of luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tim Friese
United States
Local time: 22:03
Member (2013)
Arabic to English
+ ...
| There are many different goals for any kind of marketing effort, including social media | Jan 14, 2014 |
To answer your simple question "are social media necessary?", the answer is of course no. They are not necessary, but social media might still play a role in successful marketing. Here are some thoughts on why:
Everyone in this profession sometimes struggles with figuring out who to trust - this is a natural result of our business being largely conducted at a distance. We must assume that our clients (be they agencies or translation-buyers) will also wonder whether they can trust us... See more To answer your simple question "are social media necessary?", the answer is of course no. They are not necessary, but social media might still play a role in successful marketing. Here are some thoughts on why:
Everyone in this profession sometimes struggles with figuring out who to trust - this is a natural result of our business being largely conducted at a distance. We must assume that our clients (be they agencies or translation-buyers) will also wonder whether they can trust us sometimes. One part of my rationale for a social media presence is establishing that I am real and legitimate. The first five hits that come up if you google my name + translator are my proz profile, my translatorscafe profile, my personal webpage, my yelp business page, and my professional facebook page. I hope that inspires confidence in anyone who might be worried about whether they can trust me.
Next, you can get organic search results (the holy grail of an online presence). Organic search results on google (i.e. all results other than ads) are ranked according to a complicated algorithm that has changed over time and has many components. Links and hits from all sites, including social network sites, DO influence your pagerank. If you have blogposts on various topics, those posts may be seen my people with particular searches.
Lastly, I think social media may be helpful in informing and reminding your existing personal and professional contacts of your business. I have had a couple times where friends referred me to someone who maybe will need a translation down the line - no business yet, but I'm certainly happy that they've already talked to me a little bit about their needs.
I see some potential benefits of social media depending on your goals, your inclinations, etc. To conclude: "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." My philosophy is to make sure to put just a little time and money into a few different advertising methods and not worry too much about which half is wasted. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| "No" is the short answer. | Jan 15, 2014 |
Social media are not necessary for anything.
[Edited at 2014-01-15 08:52 GMT]
| | | |
They are not necessary but they could be useful. On one side I think that having a well written, interesting and reputable blog linked to a Twitter account (as Twitter is used especially for business to business marketing) would be a fantastic marketing tool and would help pushing your website up in Google's search results. On the other hand it is indeed very time consuming to maintain and update one. Therefore I would suggest opening a blog only if you're sure you can dedicate time to it, other... See more They are not necessary but they could be useful. On one side I think that having a well written, interesting and reputable blog linked to a Twitter account (as Twitter is used especially for business to business marketing) would be a fantastic marketing tool and would help pushing your website up in Google's search results. On the other hand it is indeed very time consuming to maintain and update one. Therefore I would suggest opening a blog only if you're sure you can dedicate time to it, otherwise it can be more detrimental than useful.
I personally use Facebook not so much for self promotion but to keep up-to-date about courses and workshops, to read the latest articles on different topics, by following certain pages. I also opened a Twitter account (which I don't have time to use) and I immediately got a private message from a translation agency inviting me to apply to become one of their translators.
(Also a phone call from another company following a tweet but that's another story 
All in all I don't have a definite answer for your question (I'm still weighting pros and cons myself about this) but for translators who work in a very competitive and saturated language combination (it's not the case of some of the translators answering this thread but it's the OP's and my case) when the current marketing efforts don't bring satisfying results it may be worth trying new things.
I'll state again that having a consistent and "multi-channel" online presence requires a lot of effort and time though, not to mention skills.
Flora
[Edited at 2014-01-15 14:08 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
S E (X)
Italy
Local time: 05:03
Italian to English
| it depends on who your target clients are | Jan 15, 2014 |
I would say that it really depends on whether or not your target uses social media, and then which and how.
You do not want to be communicating to an empty room, but on the other hand if the clients you would like to reach do use social media, using the same communication means would seem to be a good move.
Basically, be where your clients--ideal and real--are. If they are on social media, I think it would make sense for you to have a presence there, too.
S... See more I would say that it really depends on whether or not your target uses social media, and then which and how.
You do not want to be communicating to an empty room, but on the other hand if the clients you would like to reach do use social media, using the same communication means would seem to be a good move.
Basically, be where your clients--ideal and real--are. If they are on social media, I think it would make sense for you to have a presence there, too.
Sarah ▲ Collapse
| | | | John Fossey
Canada
Local time: 23:03
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
The only social media I am involved in is LinkedIn and while I don't spend hardly any time there I have connected with a few clients. Where I've found this useful is when a contact moves on to another job, the connection goes with them. Otherwise I would have never known where they went. I've had a few jobs this way.
But as far as activity like posting, etc., is concerned, I think it's a waste of time.
| | | | | Not for my business | Jan 15, 2014 |
I just cannot imagine that my target customers and I will cross paths via a social medium....
| | | |
I believe the translation industry has a very specific target market.
You're not selling a service that the ordinary person would hire. Thus, social media is not the way to go.
I guess all you can do with social media is letting your close contacts know that you provide translation services and if they ever need it or know of someone who might need it to send them to you.
| | |
|
|
|
As Christine put it, social media are used pretty much for anything, everything and nothing at the same time. Be ready to see their downfall sooner or later - this too shall pass.
As much as I love computers and the Internet, I don't personally see any professional or personal advantage to social media, so I refuse to be on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn (the latter being the social bonfire of the vanities!). One can never tell, but chances are I won't change my mind from one day to... See more As Christine put it, social media are used pretty much for anything, everything and nothing at the same time. Be ready to see their downfall sooner or later - this too shall pass.
As much as I love computers and the Internet, I don't personally see any professional or personal advantage to social media, so I refuse to be on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn (the latter being the social bonfire of the vanities!). One can never tell, but chances are I won't change my mind from one day to the next.
Some day, however, I would like to include a blog on my website. The thing is I haven't had the time so far, and who knows when I'll be able to do it. Never, maybe?
Regards,
Maria
http://mg10linguistics.jimdo.com ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Sarah Elizabeth wrote:
I would say that it really depends on whether or not your target uses social media, and then which and how.
You do not want to be communicating to an empty room, but on the other hand if the clients you would like to reach do use social media, using the same communication means would seem to be a good move.
Basically, be where your clients--ideal and real--are. If they are on social media, I think it would make sense for you to have a presence there, too.
Sarah
I totally agree with Sarah. The clients that I want are on facebook and twitter, and that's how I'm finding new projects. Think of social media as an extension of your blog and website - you can even link them together. Some even use facebook as a digital business card.
| | | | | For Promotion | Mar 19, 2014 |
It's helpful to promoting your activity.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Are social media really necessary for marketing? | CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free
Buy now! » |
| | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
