Free, the word that we all enlightened the look when it is contemplated or pronounced. The one that leads us to the mistaken belief that cheap always brings us advantages and benefits. With which to avoid making some investment or extra expense, we come to consider that getting what we want can be achieved with little effort or simply by the boss. By the Face!

But what does all this have to do with Social Media Marketing?

Everything related to the immense universe of the internet has always been involved in this halo, which as an inheritance of free culture we have taken root to think that everything here has to be either very cheap, to assume little investment or simply as they usually say vulgarly, bucket”.

The fact that many network services (including their own and most popular social networks) are free, has served that in some way or another many people consider that the presence in the same, can be a question reduced to the creation of A company profile that others will find and visit without the need to move one more finger. As a result, the value of social media professionals is weighed against such ignorance and from the real needs to truly become a social enterprise with true interaction, attention and notoriety.

This is especially common among small businesses, SMEs and family businesses that, for example, turn to the next of kin to entrust such tasks without being aware of the dangers involved. Upload photo, share the fashionable videos, “hello good morning”, this I like, this not, look at the photo of my business! …. and little else. All in a pack for the modest price of the thanks to the nephew on duty who pretends to demonstrate his abilities behind the wheel, in this circuit of races that is the social media.

Without a doubt, none of these companies would conceive the possibility of working for free simply because others had the perception that their work was a seemingly simple process. But outside, to achieve this, three important requirements are necessary. Being professional and knowing the mechanisms of the environment where one moves, knowing what is done and the resources needed to achieve it, and keep in mind that the time spent in whatever task we develop requires a dedication and time, which In the end they represent an investment that translates into money. For free nothing and time is gold.

Even so, we must be aware that success will never be assured. Especially if we take into account some figures such as those provided by a recent Manta study, which reveals that about 61 percent of small businesses see no return on investment in their social media activities. However, almost 50 percent say they have increased the time spent on social networks, while only 7 percent have decreased this time. The data also reveal that the goal of 36% of these companies was to use social networks to acquire or attract new customers, while for 19%, their goal was to generate new contacts and relationships. Only 17% did it to boost the visibility and awareness of their brand.

It is fine, but at first glance this is reduced to mere intentions of what these companies intend to achieve. What does this mean? What do not they know how to generate the desired results, are they about to be, or are they not doing things really well?

The answer is perhaps a sum of all of them, adding in the great majority of cases the absence of qualified personnel and professionals capable of undertaking such tasks. To delegate these activities to unqualified persons or those who do not know the necessary bases for establishing a strategy will undoubtedly end up giving, with almost certainty, more than a failure the feeling of a frustrated attempt. Or what is the same, throwing away all effort, time and wasted the real opportunities and potential of social media.

Therefore, if you with your company expect at least a minimum of results, know that for this it is necessary to value the experience of a professional, be aware of the need to establish a strategy, which will assume you spend your money, have Patience and you must assume that social media is not only a resource to increase your sales.