Starting a social media campaign for your business is like building a relationship. In order for it to be successful in the long run, you need to commit to it and have realistic expectations about what you’ll get out of it.

Current statistics show that 73% of registered Twitter users have posted less than 10 posts and a third have not posted at all.

Most Facebook fan pages do not give incentives to visitors to “like” the page. In addition, they rarely develop continuous communication campaigns directed at their fans.

These trends are a clear indication that both individuals and businesses engage in social media without a plan, goal, or idea why.

So before you make your first tweet, create a Facebook fan page, or start looking for Linked In connections, ask yourself these questions. The answers can help you better focus your time, resources, and better understand how to include social media in your company’s marketing program.

Why do I want to participate in social networks?

With social media “experts” declaring that any business that doesn’t tweet or have a Facebook fan page is losing business to competitors, many entrepreneurs feel compelled to participate out of fear. This only leads to frustration when time and money is spent setting up custom accounts and pages, only to see no measurable results. The fact is that social media is like any other marketing tool and may not be right for every business. Even so, it still needs to be used effectively, perhaps as part of a larger campaign, for the benefits to be seen.

Do I have the time and resources?

Unlike conventional marketing, such as newspaper ads, direct mail, or even a website, social media requires ongoing attention. Depending on your business, this can range from a few minutes a day to over an hour. Do you have the time, desire and patience to make regular and relevant tweets or update your Facebook page? And while you can have a staff member or virtual assistant do this for you, that means allocating resources and money that you may or may not be able to afford, or could better use elsewhere.

Can I continually create great content?

Unlike a blog where you can post content on your own schedule, making social media work means posting interesting and relevant content on an ongoing basis. Depending on the guru you listen to, this could mean a few tweets a day or more than 10 an hour. Can you keep this pace? And do you really have enough to say? Even sharing a mix of personal anecdotes, relevant links, retweets, and business information can only go so far before you start to get mentally drained and frustrated.

What are my goals?

Unless you’re involved in social media for purely social purposes, you’re probably expecting some sort of financial return. The goals of attracting more customers and more sales is what drives most businesses to social media in the first place. So let’s be real: From a business perspective, followers, friends, fans, and connections are nothing more than lists. And if the names on those lists aren’t the kind of customers you’d like to attract, then you may be preaching to the wrong people. The best thing you can do is decide what your goals are from the start. For many businesses, customers can come from any geographic area or be from any demographic, so social media may be ideal. Think about whether you are trying to build awareness for your company, product, or just yourself.

What are my alternatives?

Social media is just one of hundreds of ways to reach people. Depending on your goals, you may find that some old methods produce better results with fewer resources. Trade shows, direct mail, email, seminars, networking events, newspaper ads, or publicity stunts can still get you the kinds of results you may be looking for. Many businesses have successfully used social media to create a word-of-mouth “momentum” that originally started from a conventional marketing campaign. Remember the old guy from the spices? That campaign started as just a TV commercial and became the most successful social media campaign in history.

Do people really care?

The open forum concept of Twitter, Facebook and Linked In groups allows a large number of people to talk about common interests. But let’s be honest here. Is your business worth discussing? A client of mine who works as a self-employed dental hygienist was disappointed when her tweets and Facebook posts from her got little response. While they were quality posts, it seemed that teeth cleaning was not a huge draw for online discussion. It can be hard to listen to, but sometimes the world doesn’t share your passion for your product or service.

How do I measure success?

While many web designers and consultants will point to Google Analytics when asked about ROI, the fact remains that ROI can only be measured in dollars and cents. Your time and resources are worth something, so you need to put a value on them and keep that in mind when developing your social media campaign. If you make $80.00 an hour doing what is your main service, spending 10 hours on social media will cost you $800.00. If you don’t get that money back in a reasonable amount of time, you’ll have a negative return. Factor in other costs, such as a graphic designer or marketing consultant, and your costs will be even higher. Success should be defined by a set of criteria before starting your campaign, be it on social media or otherwise.

Think of social media as a single tool in your marketing toolbox. And the most effective marketing campaigns come from knowing which tools to use and when to use them, either alone or in combination.