The Perks of Social Media
ByJump on board
A huge portion of the population has already taken the leap into social media. From Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and more, there is something that meets everyone’s style and needs. If you don’t have any involvement in social media, now is the time to dive in. If you have an account, but you have been very inactive, now is the time to get back in the game. Start by revamping your information, link your social media to your website, and begin posting – make it your goal to simply start showing up on people’s radar again. If you are already in the game, step up and become the MVP of social media. Consider starting on a site that you are not yet active on and become the champion content creator.
Understand what you are up against
Understanding your competition can be just as important as understanding your target market. You always want to know what your prospects or customers are looking for, and with that, you need to know how you set yourself apart from your competitors. Because so many people are now taking part in social media, it is likely that many of your competitors are following the trend. Take time to check out their sites; this will give you a better understanding of how they are running portions of their business. After that you just need to focus on being a step…or ten…ahead of them!
Is this thing on?
It is unlikely that people will engage with you on social media unless you reach out to them. As busy as you may keep yourself with posting, tweeting, and sharing, how often are you liking, retweeting, pinning, and commenting? Your reach will increase when you make it known that you are actively listening to what others say and showing them that you appreciate the content that they are pushing.
What is it that you do?
Preach your products and services. Social media allows you the phenomenal ability to push content in the form of videos, photos, audio and more. With this, people can see the perks of what you offer before they place their order or commit to your services – remember that customers often buy with their eyes.
Increase loyalty and build trust
Make your customers feel like they are a friend. You have the opportunity to network and socialize with people that enjoy your product, and making them feel welcomed by your store or brand can quickly boost sales. This is an effective way to set your company ahead of the competition.
Understanding the data
Pay attention to insights and analytics. You can begin to understand more about what your customers want to hear as you see what they are liking, sharing, retweeting, pinning, etc. If something grabs their attention you may be able to incorporate that into your future social media activity. There are plenty of sites that will lay out your analytical data and help you understand it, and you will find that many social media sights already provide means to measure your success. Some things you can nail down with this information include your target market, their interests, and posts/content matter that gets attention from your followers…just to name a few.
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” -Bill Gates
How do you provide customer service with social media? These networks act as a quick and easy communication method between multiple parties. As rapidly as an individual can post something negative, the company can respond to solve this customer’s issue. With this said, there has to be a level of monitoring that occurs. This isn’t to say that customers won’t post plenty of positive comments, but if something is said that will negatively impact your brand, and you don’t work to solve the issue, this negative comment could reach the other end of the globe in a matter of minutes. What is the lesson here? Thank people for their kind words regarding your brand, and if someone isn’t satisfied you must make sure to fix it. Your quick actions will spread to the other end of the globe just as quickly as their negativity.
Sources
The 12 Major Benefits of Social Media
Jeff Bullas
Top 14 Benefits of Social Media Marketing
Wendy Suto
http://www.sitepronews.com/2011/02/13/top-14-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/
7 ways social media is transforming PR
Matthew Royse
http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/7885.aspx
