In this post, we look at all things socially speaking, including why social media matters and how to make the most of it.
Socially Speaking
6 Reasons Social Media Matters To Your Company
- Traditional Media is the fastest declining industry in the world.
- Social Media is the new word of mouth. Word of mouth is the most powerful sales tool.
- You can’t ignore the numbers. There are 900million people on Facebook, 400million on Twitter, 170million on Google+, 150million on LinkedIn, 120million on Tumblr and 18million on Pinterest. 4billion views are recorded on YouTube every day.
- Educated people, who are computer literate, who have good incomes use social media.
- Social Media is the new PR. It is not an advertising platform. It is pure public relations.
- It’s free.
Keep in mind that social media is the new PR. You cannot use it as an advertising platform. It is not the place for a sales pitch. You need to use social media to drive customers to your blog or website.
How do you do this?
7 Ways To Make The Most Of Social Media
- Find a ‘constant gardener‘ to become the face of your social media campaign.
- Charm your audience.
- Work it. Remember you need to put in your 10 000 hours before you’re an expert at anything.
- Never ask your client to buy your product. Invite. Persuade. Hard sell does not work here.
- Become partners with your client.
- Treat your client as you would treat a friend you respect and admire.
- Identify which social media platforms suit your business. All companies must be present on Facebook and Google+. Facebook because of numbers. Google+ because of search. Find somebody to help you with this.
5 Ways To Engage With Customers
- Content wins. Employ skilled writers who understand what to write for the different platforms.
- Answer every query on every social media platform. Follow up. Show you care.
- Give your customers something for free – information, products, entertaining articles.
- Run competitions.
- Always use a picture with a post.
5 Reasons Companies Don’t Understand Social Media
- They can’t measure social media – yet.
- They are frightened of change.
- Most of the people in charge don’t know what social media is.
- They think Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the same as social media. They don’t realise that Google negated SEO with Google+.
- They have employed advertising companies to handle their social media needs. Most of these ‘gurus’ have had no training and do not understand social media. Social Media is not a vehicle for traditional advertising. It is the new word of mouth.
How can a company fix this?
- Approach people who have conquered social media for help. (Look at klout scores.)
- Avoid SEO experts when talking about social media.
- Educate directors about social media. Educate everyone else about social media.
- Run workshops on this new resource.
- Appoint someone with charm and the necessary skills to oversee your social media programme.
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