The Pitfalls of Social Media and the Small Business Mother!

Yes social media is the wave of the present and for the small business person it has become essential in order to attract new business and keep up to date with current customers. Thanks to forums like Facebook and Pinterest we find ourselves addicted to them. Even I have had to erase the Facebook app from my phone because I find myself paying to much attention to it. Thank God I have yet to download the Pinterest app. But even more distressing, when I pin something with a call to action I find myself continuously checking and re-checking to see if I got any reaction from my “friends,” most of whom I have never meet but they are my friends none-the-less and I find myself wishing them, “Happy Birthday” when it pops up on my reminder area in the home page.

 

What does this mean for the small business mother!! Well did you know that according to Facebook that small business people spend a minimum of 6 hours on social media a week. I’m sure that this does not include the addicting boards of Pinterest.

 

Well as the mother of an 11 year old, 2 year old and a 3 month old I can barely keep up with the demands of society and this new social media. While I am sure that this post says posted by Rick let me assure you it is only because of the automatic login to the blog and it is currently written at yes 0030 in the morning on tuesday. Today Sully has just turned 3 months, she is sitting on the breast while I am typing this one handed because she is having pacifier boobie. If only I had a third hand so that I could sip my glass of wine, that I really bought for cooking but must savor due to my  2 glass limit per week since I am breastfeeding.  Why breastfeeding? Because 1. it is the right thing to do  according to the World Health Organization and 2. while I breastfed the other 2 for a year,  would feel awful if I did not make the best attempt this time. All this while holding down a full-time job as a neonatal intensive care nurse and running this photography business part-time. Keep in mind though all the girly graphics on this site did not come from Rick. He is a boy and while he tries well…he is a boy and ladies you know why we are called the better half.

 

Social media though also relies on organic internet ranking. What is organic ranking? Let me enlighten you. Organic ranking are those websites that show up under the sponsored ones. These are those that have the right key words and content. Yes content for a blog at this time is at least 400 words with correct grammar then it must have a great picture so that people will want to pin it and share or like it for Facebook. Why must they like it and pin it. Well all these link back to the site and help with the organic ranking that means so much to every business. This is free advertising as apposed to pay per click, which is very expensive and in some cases as a waste of resources since any Joe will click on it costing the business money. Since it is priced per key word it can be pricey even over a few dollars per click. Thus if you appreciate my openness and I mean boob and all please like and pin it! :>) Last please don’t lessen the effect of social media likes. If everyone else likes it so must you!!! This is called online peer pressure-as if we don’t already have enough of face-to-face peer pressure!

 

No but really these are the things that small businesses face. The small business mother in general. Because while my kids are young and sleeping, I wonder how I made it today after going to bed a 4am. I’m trying to complete our rebranding after the economy has really only produced more small business people who are finding themselves new to social media. In addition telling people to turn their hobby into their business. I’m sure if you go to your Facebook page you will see some ad that says become a something online.  Most likely it will say turn your photography hobby into  a business and attend photography school online while your kids are sleeping at night. Thank God I still know how to shoot film and I recommend everyone to go into a field that is more reliable like well…..nursing. Which reminds me we are still shooting medium format!!! I miss the old days where you were in the darkroom and had to wait for developer to turn your paper into a wonderful image.

 

Social media though is here to stay… it will change and grow like my kids. And when I am in the house spending 12 hours a week on social media they will be practicing their pyrotechnics.