It's a different battle now, talking business owners about their online presence. It's no longer a discussion about "is social media important". Instead it's a discussion about "how important is social media".
Business now knows that social media can and should play a role in traditional marketing, PR and customer service objectives, but it's specific role hasn't quite been decided yet. Some businesses see the word-of-mouth potential, some see the potential to earn press attention. There are so many opportunities to leverage social media into so many aspects of almost any business model.
But this wide spectrum of appeal to the social media investment has become as much of a deterrent as it has an incentive. You can't build anything of any value or longevity without first making detailed plans for each facet of its construction. And yet, this planning/strategy stage seems to be the biggest pain point for investing in social media.
Implementation has gotten ahead of planning in the social media space. Everyone, by nature, wants the reward without having to read the treasure map. Well, you are more likely to get lost than you are to strike gold, if you don't plan your social media journey accordingly.
It can be painful to invest in ideas and strategic thinking because the correlation to the return can be less obvious. But it's always there. Especially with a business tool that can misfire as often as it hits the target, it's important to realize the pain point of social media investing is essential to realizing your return.
Now, that's not to say you necessarily need a social media expert...