Posted on Wed, Jun 23, 2010
by Gayle Davies
Having lived in Hawaii for 15 years I couldn't help but notice that trends on the mainland take a couple of years before arriving on the shores of the Big Island. The beautiful land of fire and ice. That is why I found this survey so thought provoking.
Now that I live on the mainland, for me it is a snapshot back in time. But it should also be reassuring to many small business owners everywhere currently struggling with this new marketing strategy must-have. Using Facebook to generate leads, LinkedIn to close deals. That is the direction you will be going in.
The majority of the survey respondents were members of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. A tight-knit group of smart entrepreneurs running small businesses. Half had 5 or fewer employees and 17% had between 6-25 employees. Just like you!
Regarding their experience with Social Media, 51% of the business owners reported either: no experience, just getting started, or just a few months of social media interactions. Sound familiar?
- Those who saw the most benefits from social media were those who spent between 10 and 15 hours per week on all social media activities.
- And 65% of those who spent one hour or less per week did not see any results.
The point I am making is that you may feel overwhelmed by what seems like your forced immersion into social media. Do you feel like you are behind the times or missing the social media boat? There is hope for you yet. You just have to realize that you may be operating in "Hawaiian time." Everything is just a little bit slower. But the benefits of social media will reach your shore sooner than you think.
Kinoshita Communications LLC, based on the Big Island of Hawaii, has released the results of their social media survey. Mahalo Laura for providing this timely survey.
You can find the report here: "West Hawaii Social Media Survey."