Facebook has 845 million users, Facebook accounts for 20% of all page views online, over 50% of the population of North America uses Facebook, 250 million photos are uploaded to Facebook daily. The ballots are in and the vote is overwhelming, social media has revolutionized the way our society communicates. If you own a business it is now critical that you develop an online presence. Without building a comprehensive social media campaign to communicate with your current and potential customers your business is missing out on one of the greatest technological and social innovations in the history of man-kind.
You are probably asking…how do I leverage social media for my business? The answer is both simple and complex…. because social networking outlets are multi-facet communication tools, trying to figure out where to say something, what to say, how to say it, can be a daunting task. That is why the social networking specialists from Impact Social Networking have created these 5 tips. Incorporate these tips into your social media campaign and you will increase exposure, customer communication, and the overall profitability of your business.
Tip 1: Leverage your current and established customers
Don’t limit your social media marketing campaign before it starts by mentally stigmatizing your campaign as existing “online only”. A successful sales person knows that business is all about “touch points”. Like a telephone, a social media platform is a communication tool. Ask your current and potential customers to add you as a friend or like your page on Facebook, connect with you on LinkedIn, and/or to follow you on Twitter…When you continue to “touch” (communicate) with current and potential customers you will remain in the forefront of their minds when either the customer or someone they know needs your product or service. Social media platforms are valuable and unique because (when used correctly) they allow you to “touch” potential and current customers in a consistent and friendly manner without making them feel harassed.
Also, if you are using a personal profile to build friends there are algorithms that can limit the amount of friend requests you can send. By directing your current customers to send you friend requests you will “loosen the noose” on your overall friend request limit. However, if you do use a personal profile for business it is EXTREMELY important not to bombard your friends with constant spam such as direct messages, fake event invites, constant chat messages, etc. You don’t like it, so neither do they.
Tip 2: Don’t be self-centered.
Nobody enjoys having a conversation with someone who is self-absorbed. Engage your audience by asking questions and providing content that is useful to them such as information on upcoming local events, new IPhone apps, inspirational quotes, and information on the latest trends within your industry. Don’t just SELL, SELL, SELL that type of marketing strategy is transparent and tasteless.
Also, a Social Media Guru tries to create win-win situations whenever possible, for example: if you are asking your Facebook friends to like your fan page let them know that you will return the favor. Ask your friends to let you about any pages they are trying to promote and “like” your friend’s pages when they “like” yours.
Tip 3: Peer recommendations.
When you close a sale and a customer is satisfied, ask if it is ok to feature the transaction on your social media profile(s). For example an insurance agent that just saved his customer money on car insurance might (with the customer’s permission) write a Facebook post: “Congratulations to our newest customer Sammy Tuft! We saved her over $2000 per year on her car insurance policy” (possibly add a picture of satisfied customer or a cool car) LinkedIn is especially conducive to this type of strategy as LinkedIn users are pushed to “ask for recommendations” which can later be featured on their profile.
Tip 4: Show people you care.
Let people know you are listening. When someone comments on your status update, or posts to your wall try to respond within 24-48 hours if possible. If you can’t get to it or don’t see it right away, respond as soon as you can, it is always better to respond late rather than never. You want people to feel comfortable communicating with your business. By showing current and potential customers that you care about what they have to say, you develop and maintain relationships that will benefit you down the road.
Tip 5: Metrics
When a new customer walks in the door ask them where they saw you. Ask your current clients if they have seen you online, if not ask them to connect with you. When you are speaking with customers, pay special attention when someone mentions one of your posts or other another aspect of one of your social media profiles.
Facebook Pages have a great tool for measuring exposure called “Insights”. Learn the how’s and of insights so that you can track various numbers such as weekly exposure, individual post reach, and demographics such as the geographical location, age, and gender of people who like your page and the people your page reached that week.
At the end of the day you are only as good as your community. A good social networking specialist knows building networks with large numbers of quality friends, followers and connections will provide you with a 24/7 system to broadcast your message online.
Ok, now for my piece of self-promotion. Researching, planning, and managing your business’s social media marketing strategy for multiple social outlets can be confusing and time consuming. Hiring an experienced Social Media Specialist to help you maintain a consistent and comprehensive online presence will save you time and ensure your social media presence is broadcasting your business 24/7. The social networking specialists at Impact Social Networking have the experience necessary to manage your business’s social media marketing campaign.
Contact a social networking specialist:
Call (201) 961-3254
Visit : www.impactsocialnetworking.com
You are probably asking…how do I leverage social media for my business? The answer is both simple and complex…. because social networking outlets are multi-facet communication tools, trying to figure out where to say something, what to say, how to say it, can be a daunting task. That is why the social networking specialists from Impact Social Networking have created these 5 tips. Incorporate these tips into your social media campaign and you will increase exposure, customer communication, and the overall profitability of your business.
Tip 1: Leverage your current and established customers
Don’t limit your social media marketing campaign before it starts by mentally stigmatizing your campaign as existing “online only”. A successful sales person knows that business is all about “touch points”. Like a telephone, a social media platform is a communication tool. Ask your current and potential customers to add you as a friend or like your page on Facebook, connect with you on LinkedIn, and/or to follow you on Twitter…When you continue to “touch” (communicate) with current and potential customers you will remain in the forefront of their minds when either the customer or someone they know needs your product or service. Social media platforms are valuable and unique because (when used correctly) they allow you to “touch” potential and current customers in a consistent and friendly manner without making them feel harassed.
Also, if you are using a personal profile to build friends there are algorithms that can limit the amount of friend requests you can send. By directing your current customers to send you friend requests you will “loosen the noose” on your overall friend request limit. However, if you do use a personal profile for business it is EXTREMELY important not to bombard your friends with constant spam such as direct messages, fake event invites, constant chat messages, etc. You don’t like it, so neither do they.
Tip 2: Don’t be self-centered.
Nobody enjoys having a conversation with someone who is self-absorbed. Engage your audience by asking questions and providing content that is useful to them such as information on upcoming local events, new IPhone apps, inspirational quotes, and information on the latest trends within your industry. Don’t just SELL, SELL, SELL that type of marketing strategy is transparent and tasteless.
Also, a Social Media Guru tries to create win-win situations whenever possible, for example: if you are asking your Facebook friends to like your fan page let them know that you will return the favor. Ask your friends to let you about any pages they are trying to promote and “like” your friend’s pages when they “like” yours.
Tip 3: Peer recommendations.
When you close a sale and a customer is satisfied, ask if it is ok to feature the transaction on your social media profile(s). For example an insurance agent that just saved his customer money on car insurance might (with the customer’s permission) write a Facebook post: “Congratulations to our newest customer Sammy Tuft! We saved her over $2000 per year on her car insurance policy” (possibly add a picture of satisfied customer or a cool car) LinkedIn is especially conducive to this type of strategy as LinkedIn users are pushed to “ask for recommendations” which can later be featured on their profile.
Tip 4: Show people you care.
Let people know you are listening. When someone comments on your status update, or posts to your wall try to respond within 24-48 hours if possible. If you can’t get to it or don’t see it right away, respond as soon as you can, it is always better to respond late rather than never. You want people to feel comfortable communicating with your business. By showing current and potential customers that you care about what they have to say, you develop and maintain relationships that will benefit you down the road.
Tip 5: Metrics
When a new customer walks in the door ask them where they saw you. Ask your current clients if they have seen you online, if not ask them to connect with you. When you are speaking with customers, pay special attention when someone mentions one of your posts or other another aspect of one of your social media profiles.
Facebook Pages have a great tool for measuring exposure called “Insights”. Learn the how’s and of insights so that you can track various numbers such as weekly exposure, individual post reach, and demographics such as the geographical location, age, and gender of people who like your page and the people your page reached that week.
At the end of the day you are only as good as your community. A good social networking specialist knows building networks with large numbers of quality friends, followers and connections will provide you with a 24/7 system to broadcast your message online.
Ok, now for my piece of self-promotion. Researching, planning, and managing your business’s social media marketing strategy for multiple social outlets can be confusing and time consuming. Hiring an experienced Social Media Specialist to help you maintain a consistent and comprehensive online presence will save you time and ensure your social media presence is broadcasting your business 24/7. The social networking specialists at Impact Social Networking have the experience necessary to manage your business’s social media marketing campaign.
Contact a social networking specialist:
Call (201) 961-3254
Visit : www.impactsocialnetworking.com
