We had the opportunity last week to attend a luncheon where my colleague (ok, so he’s also my husband) spoke on the role of social media in marketing and the process that we teach, called “Combustion Marketing.”

Based on some questions that came up during the Q&A time, I realized that there is simply a lot of misunderstand and misinformation out there regarding this wonderful new medium of social media management.

So with that in mind, I recently ran across some great information on the fears of social media put out by David Griner of Luckie & Company.  And by the way, this company is quite the innovative thought-leader in the area of story-telling in branding.  Take a look at their website – I  highly recommend it!

And remember, the only thing more popular than USING social media marketing is QUESTIONING social media marketing.  Not necessarily a bad thing if you are armed and ready with the answers.

Fear #1 – The Public will eat us alive.
The Blunt Answer – If so, they’re doing it already.  You’re just not there to hear it.  Or defend yourself.
The Practical Answer – Your critics aren’t waiting for you to use social media.  Your customers are.

Fear #2 – We can’t trust our employees
The Blunt Answer – Then why are you paying them?
The Practical Answer – If you trust someone to talk to your customers, you can trust them to use social media.

Fear #3 – We’ll lost control of our brand
The Blunt Answer – You’re more likely to find out what your brand really is.
The Practical Answer – Social media is the ultimate way to prove your brand promise and make it a reality.

Fear #4 – If we screw up, it’ll haunt us on the Web forever
The Blunt Answer – That’s called accountability.
The Practical Answer - True, the Web has a long memory.  But it’s never too late to improve.

Fear #5 – Our audience doesn’t use social media
The Blunt Answer - Then your audience must be deceased.
The Practical Answer – Every generation is embracing social media, but not in the same ways.

Fear #6 – We don’t have time or staffing for social media
The Blunt Answer - Then start small and let the work prove its own value.
The Practical Answer – It takes less time than you’d think.  Soon, it’s just a part of your daily life.

Fear #7 – We can’t predict the ROI
The Blunt Answer – You can’t predict the return on an investment you don’t make.
The Practical Answer – Social media is one of the most measurable marketing tools in existence.  You just have to decide what to measure.