How to make social media work for your business
In this day and age, if you're not on social media, you don’t really have a voice as a business. It’s simple to set up an account online and get the ball rolling. However, be aware that monitoring and updating your social media profile can actually feel like a full time job in itself, so you need to be aware of how to use this tool effectively.
Stick to a few platforms
Instead of spreading yourself too thinly over multiple social media platforms, stick to a couple – such as Facebook and Twitter – and make sure that you nail it. You will only be able to do your social media well, if you choose what will work best for you and keep things simple.
Set targets
What do you want to achieve from your social media presence? Do you want to direct more traffic to your blog? Do you want higher brand awareness? Set targets to achieve and work out a plan of how to accomplish them. If you’re still not confident on whether you’ll be able to navigate social media effectively, there are online companies who can help do this for you, such as Brand Embassy.
Behind the scenes
Show your customers a little behind the scenes action, so they feel like they know and trust your company. This can mean employee selfies, but it can also mean fun stuff from around the office or warehouse. Make your pictures as shareable as possible.
Show off your knowledge
People will start to come to your company for services and products, once you establish yourself as a market expert. Show off your knowledge by providing advice to your customers that genuinely helps them. For example, if you run a local garage business, you can give out tips on how to keep your car in good shape, or share posts from your blog, which discuss things like how to change a tyre or how to protect chipped paint from rust. Help others, and customers are more likely to come to you.
Interact with your consumers
Talk to your customers. Respond to their comments. Develop a fun, professional relationship with them. Show your sense of humour. You’re missing a trick if you ignore people. Once people start liking your brand, and developing a rapport with it, you’re certain to get more customers. Toyota certainly seems to have taken this seriously, by engaging with their customers in the evenings.
Make amends
One thing that you’re bound to encounter on social media is customers complaining about their poor service or negatively reviewing a product. Make amends as quickly as possible. These things happen, but you can minimise the damage caused to your reputation here. That’s another great feature of social media.
Ask questions
Spark off dialogue by asking questions, preferably paired with an amazing picture. This should hook in other social media users and get them interacting with your brand. Keep it relevant to your business, of course, but get a conversation going!
