14 Oct A Perspective on Social Media
Social Media turns the whole world into one neighborhood.
It’s NOT simply about advertising or promoting your company, product or service. It’s about using technology to expand a word-of-mouth network, unbound by physical location, to make it more effective. And maybe even that nebulous new goal: viral.
People join social media to be connected to their friends and family. We are all just enjoying each other’s conversations in a sort-of cocktail party of technology, and no company should attempt to dominate anyone’s social media experience.
So if you’re not going to be the social media version of a braggart, bore or bully, what SHOULD you do? Well, here are some basic directives and goals to get you thinking about the right way to jump in and play.
Like/Follow is the START of a social media relationship (not the end, or the point). The point is a growing group of brand evangelists and informed customers.
Social Media goals to track
- Customer Service - Are you taking care of your most important asset, your customers, making sure they’re satisfied with what you deliver, and if they’re not, finding out why not, making it right?
- Sales - Are you producing sales through your social media channels?
- Brand sentiment improvement - Does your organization enjoy a positive reputation within social media channels?
- Advocacy - Are your existing customers telling others about your unique value?
If the answer is NO to any of these, start using the right tactics and technology to get control of these issues, then start improving where it’s needed.
Social Media content should be
- Relevant - Does your content relate to issues within your audience?
- Interesting - Is that related content actually interesting?
- Concise - Does it get to the point?
- Responsive - Does it act on the concerns of your audience?
- Provide value - Does it actually provide help?
If you answered NO to any of these, take the time to learn more about your social media audience, figure out what motivates them, then start making content that speaks to those motivations. Easy to say, harder to do, but the time spent to develop a good content strategy is well worth it.
Social Media tactics
- Fun contests
- Opinion polls
- Listen and act upon post feedback
- Answer all legit questions
- Show ways to receive or create added value
Each one of these, when delivered correctly, serve to engage your audience and keep it engaged. Engaged audiences are much more likely to act upon your direction. And that leads us to…
Social Media calls-to-action
- Sales
- Share with others
- Complete a Form
- Answer a question
- RSVP to an event
These actions actually start to leverage your existing audience, and to create more engaged visitors.
Are you inspired, but confused about how to tackle Social Media? Let’s talk.