One hour and forty minutes! I can think of so much to do with that time, but did you know that is the average amount of time a normal person spends suffering through their social media accounts? I know it’s a crazy statistic, and I can only assume that the use of social media is only going to continue to rise, as the world becomes more automated and technologically orientated! So that begs the question of how, as an entrepreneur, leader or small business owner do you capitalize on this amount of one-on-one time with your potential customer? But, first I want to make sure everyone is up to speed on exactly what social media is, because there are a lot of myths out there!
Social media, as we know it today, is a way for people to communicate and interact online. It’s called social media because users engage with (and around) it in a social context, which can include conversations, videos, pictures, news, event commentary, and many other user-generated engagement interactions, the sky really is the limit. It’s safe to say that the era of social media is just getting started, and the need for social media in business will only become stronger over time. The whole world has seen the impact of the expansion and adoption of social media tactics, and the rising stats speak for themselves.
As a result here are my favorite tips for starting and keeping up with your social media threads!
Create value and be there to answer questions.
Pretty much every social media ‘guru’ will tell you to create valuable content, not for yourself but for your customers or end-users. This can be video tutorials or just saying Happy New Years, but that isn’t what will draw people to your company or your social media conversation channels. It will be your ability to answer questions. Most businesses know what pain points or problems their product/service solves for their client, so create content that centers on helping your clients never have those problems, to begin with, or better yet help them ease the burden of the problem. Then invite people to e-mail, call, message or stop in for more information. Because you put out content that made you a subject matter expert, they will feel comfortable coming to you when they need help fixing the problem (aka sales).
Got reviews/testimonials? Publish them!
I think it goes without says, people like knowing what they are spending their hard-earned money on something that actually works and delivers the outcome they want, so make sure to show them you and yours can!
Integration.
Got a monthly newsletter you send out to clients? Post the link to sign-up on your social media, grow your following! Just got a big account from a long-term client or a recommendation, post about it! Thank your sales team and anyone else for a sale (especially if they fit your target market/client perfectly and have a big social media following themselves).
There you have it, 3 easy steps to get you started on social media, your efforts at capturing your company’s voice and sharing it with the world through social media will open unique opportunities in all other channels of inbound marketing, including SEO, branding, public relations, sales, and more. Just remember that for social media to benefit your business, it must be carefully maintained and monitored. Start slow and small, and scale from there.
Share your thoughts, knowledge, and questions in the comments below!
What do you think?
Do you use social media marketing for your business?
What strategies benefit you most?