New Social Media Apps or Tools Drop - Should Small Business Owners Join Early or Wait to See How It Goes?

Social media is constantly evolving, with new apps and tools being introduced every now and then. As a small business owner, it can be tempting to adopt these apps or tools early to ensure that you remain competitive and up-to-date with the latest trends. However, it can also be risky to jump on board early without understanding the potential drawbacks. In this blog post, we'll explore the pros and cons of adopting new social media apps or tools early and help you make an informed decision.

Advantages

The primary advantage of joining new social media apps or tools early is that it gives you a competitive advantage. By being one of the first few users of a new app or tool, you can get exposure to a wider audience and increase your visibility. This can lead to more followers, engagement, and ultimately sales. Early adoption can also help you establish credibility in your industry and position yourself as a thought leader.

Risks

However, there are also potential drawbacks to early adoption. For one, new apps or tools are not always stable, and they may have glitches that affect your user experience. Also, these tools may have limitations as to user interfaces and functionalities that only become visible as more users adopt and report use-cases. Additionally, new apps or tools often require time and effort to learn, which can be a costly distraction when your main focus should be on running your business.

What are your goals?

To decide whether to adopt a new social media app or tool early or wait, you should consider your business goals and resources. If your goal is to increase your online presence, link your content and drive more traffic, and you have the capacity to invest time and effort to learn and explore the new tool, then early adoption can be a great choice. However, if you're focused on building your business and don't have interest, resources, or bandwidth to invest in adapting to new tools, adopting them early may not be worth the risk.

When adopting new social media tools or apps early, it's imperative to be flexible and adaptable. Understand that risks and limits exist. Always monitor the platform and take note of the trends. If it appears that adoption demand improves, then you can put in the required resources and integrate new technologies into your existing business models. Remain observant and objective. Don't invest too much too soon. Take time to assess the tool's usefulness to your business. Don't leap blindly just because of the hype. Generally, the risk of early adoption is that there's just as much chance that the tool will be obsolete and replaced before you even get familiar.

Not sure a new platform is part of your Digital Marketing Strategy? You're not alone. Connect with me if you want to discuss your direction!