Sometimes, based on our personal vantage point in social media, we perceive that adoption and use should be easy. After all, it’s easy to write a tweet or post a Facebook status update, right?

But because a person can individually use social media well, doesn’t mean that the key questions are easily answered for businesses who are considering adopting social media. And sometimes, people perceive that small businesses will have a more difficult time using social media as compared to larger organizations.

Size of an organization isn’t always an indicator of the challenges involved. The complexities rest more specifically in these following issues:

• The clarity of the mission and messages involved.  Do you know who you are as an organization and can people easily resonate with what you’re doing?
• Are you willing to listen to those who engage with your messages and adapt your communications to their needs or interests?
• Do your social media and marketing folks share an understanding of your risk tolerance…how far are you willing to push the envelope to relate to your audience?  Will you keep doing the same things out of comfort even if it isn’t working?
• Are there decisions that you need to consider to minimize or mitigate possible risks in your communication strategy?  If you have people in your agency with conservative risk tolerance, have you thought about how to address these concerns in advance?

Some of the conversations and decisions you will make when adoption social media will be tough.  You will hear many excuses about why adopting social media may not be right for your organization, particularly if you sit in the risk-adverse organizations or technologically conservative agencies.

It isn’t always easy to adopt social strategies into a corporate culture, but if you know your business and are insistent on relating to others, it can be done.

One of the best strategies in dealing with risk-adverse organizations is simply identifying the concerns of others and listening.  Don’t rush to answer every challenge. Step back and truly listen, commit to finding answers (even if you already know them) and allow a reasonable amount of time to pass to address the concerns.  Sometimes, just giving those who resist some time to express their concerns and feel heard can go a long way towards chipping away at resistance.

It may not be easy, but it will be worthwhile if you commit to hearing your customers.

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