"The reason social media is so much more effective than
conventional marketing methods is it is two-way communication, not
pontification"
Through the on-going developments of
social media, communication channels are continuously advancing, making it
possible for you to reach out to almost anyone across the world. It allows you
to create an online identity as an individual or an organisation. However, for
businesses, there is a danger, which is coming across as robotic, aggressive
and sales orientated - not an effective way to get your message across to your
audience!
When creating a personal social media
account on Twitter or Facebook, people share opinions, their thoughts,
photographs and moments in their life. It is very rare that individuals will
come across as mechanical 'social media bots', so why would organisations do
this? One of the reasons could be because the marketing department are usually
in control of the social media accounts, therefore their prime objective is to
get a particular 'message' across within a limited amount of time. But,
unfortunately, this is not the way to do it.
Through the advancement of these mediums,
the power is no longer in the hands of the organisation… it is suddenly in the
hands of the consumer. Consumers have the ability to openly discuss their
opinions and experiences on a variety of global social platforms, which could
either be a massive threat for businesses or could have an extremely positive
impact. Companies need to be proactively instigating conversation with
followers, discovering how they can improve their product/service and should
embrace the customer feedback they get. This is because consumers love
influencing the direction of the Company and feeling like they have had an
input towards their development.
I have written down a few brief hints/
tips/ creative ideas to use as a guideline when using social media sites, which
will help point you and your business in the right direction when it comes to interacting
online…
1. The first crucial bit of advice is to always
be candid - as transparency is an attractive asset to your customers as it is
the foundation to building up a trusting relationship. If you have honesty there, then you already
one step towards building a connection with your individual followers.
2. Sharing knowledge you have gathered
through your sector/ area of expertise can be incredibly favourable for your
brand. If you produce blogs giving professional advice within your area of
work, you can be seen as a thought leader within your industry which could
enhance the company repertoire.
3. Post sneak previews of upcoming
products/services on your social media profiles. This can always generate a sense
of demand and grant your connections with a sense of exclusivity. It can also
allow the business to receive crucial feedback for their product/service prior
to launching it.
4. Interact with others! Sometimes a lot of
organisations believe that if they are persistent with posting information then
they are engaging with people, but, unfortunately, this is not the case.
Businesses need to be building relationships with others and showing interest
to what they are talking about. If you show an interest to them, they will show
an interest to you.
5. Demonstrate what your company does. Through the power of multimedia, this allows
you to showcase what your company offers far beyond words. This is a powerful
tool for enticing your customers and creating a sense of demand.
6. Also, rewarding loyal customers can be
beneficial for attracting new customers too. People on social networks will
want to get involved with special offers and engage in competitions, which can
increase the numbers of people you communicate with online.
7. Monitoring comments and feedback on social
media is also extremely crucial for business. Addressing issues and praise
towards your company keeps you aware of how the company is being perceived by
others and allows you scope to improve. The people who monitor the twitter
accounts are usually not the direct decision makers of the company, so always
ensure this feedback is passed on to those individuals as it may be something
they haven't even considered yet.
8. Keeping customers constantly in the loop
is another important factor. They are your customers because they like your
brand/service/product, therefore, would like to be up to date with what is
going on and feel like they are the first to know. It can also keep customers
up to date with your latest destination if you are always ‘on the go’.
9. Another important point is not to pretend
to be somebody else in attempt to enhance your reputation, as this will
backfire and the element of trust from your customers could be quickly
shattered. Allow honest feedback and provide an excellent service, and the
legitimate positive feedback will naturally unfold, along with a great
repertoire.
10. And last but certainly not least, STRIVE
to be interesting. You want people to return to your profile over and over
again, and to refer back to things you’re saying, and to talk about you to
others. So keeping your viewers engaged is a KEY aspect of social media
marketing.
Considering these key pointers, please remember
that social media should have elements of enjoyment, professionalism and
realism. With a good balance of all these factors and a great attitude, you
should be well on your way to constructing an effective online strategy which
will help get your product/service out there!
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