Ever get that feeling...

So recently I have been job hunting. Graduating during this recession has not lent itself well to finding a job. This is for a completely different blog post though. Like many of my peers, I have returned home to focus my energies on actually finding a job. In the mean time I picked up a job at a local credit union as a teller. I figured with this part-time job I would be able to completely focus on my task at hand, which is to find a real job. Normally I would also be working on something to increase my experience for my resume and while I continue using Facebook Twitter and the occasional blog post, I have not tried anything Marketing related. I have tried.... on occasion; and this is that story.

To give you a little more insight into the story, I will begin by saying that I have previously worked at this credit union in a marketing intern/analyst/consultant position. I worked on the re-branding analysis of the credit union, sales consulting, worked on the budget and had a few other projects while there. They liked my work and heard I needed a job to get me through the period from graduation to career so I got a part-time job. The marketing position was filled by a great lady while I went back to finish my schooling. Now comes the meat of the story.

A little while back (as I had not found a job) I was talking with the lady from the marketing department about starting a social media campaign for the credit union, as that is a very inexpensive yet effective way of reaching your end consumer. During this conversation I learned that they recently sent her to a conference about this very subject. Everything I had learned from my "experimenting and observing" on the social media front held true with everything she learned. I then proceeded to offer my assistance in starting this campaign (as I wanted to really try this out) and was told that in September they planned on implementing something and she would keep me in mind.

Well we are now half way through October and still no social media from this credit union. I am getting the feeling that it is not a priority for many companies. The only reason I can come up with is fear. Many companies, and those in the marketing departments, do not understand social media marketing and do not take the time learn. I, on the other hand, am not afraid. I ran a website for over a year and implemented a social media campaign designed around Facebook and a blog. After implementing this campaign I increased unique site visits 300%. That is a huge increase. I never would have achieved such results without social media marketing. My advice... take the leap and if need be, follow my advice in a previous blog post.

Dive in and take a chance. At least it will not cost you anything.