10 Ways to Make Your Business More Social
Filed Under Social Marketing
Large companies have been utilizing social media for years to interact and engage with consumers. Small business owners are beginning to realize the benefits of getting social with their company. Your small business can reach more potential customers and strengthen loyalty with current ones by maintaining an active online presence.
If you’re thinking about getting your business into the social media world, here are ten things you can do to get more social:
Social Share Marketing Materials
Think of all the printed materials you use for marketing purposes: flyers, coupons, sales brochures. You use them to hand out to potential and current customers. You can also share those things online through sites like Scribd and SlideShare to allow easy access and sharing.
Claim Your Name
Use your company name for all of your social media sites. This uniformity will reinforce your branding and prevent anyone else from using your name as their own. You also want your profile picture to be the same throughout or at least very similar. It can be your logo or mascot, whichever you prefer.
Social Signature
Aside from including your social media buttons on your websites, it is also a great idea to include them in the signature of your emails. Consider how many emails are exchanged with customers. Each one is an opportunity to get more people to engage with you on the social networks you are active on.
Track Your Traffic
Knowing where your website traffic is coming from can give you greater insight that is helpful for your marketing strategy. For instance, if you know that the majority of your visitors are coming through Facebook, then you will know to focus more attention on engaging with people there.
Be an Active Listener
To continue building up your audience through social media, you need to set up “listening posts” in order to stay current on what is trending and what your target following is talking about. This can be done with the help of free online tools like Boardreader, Alerts Grader and Twitter Search.
Get LinkedIn
Your company needs to set up a profile on LinkedIn. You can post updates and keep your business information current. You can join groups that are in line with your business and start networking.
Set Up a Company Blog
Having a blog as a part of your website is an excellent way for your business to share information with site visitors. You can write about industry news, new products and reviews. Include videos and photos to add interest.
Create an Exciting Work Environment
Take a cue from companies like Zappos and Amazon, which have embraced a livelier company culture. Customers want to know that they are doing business with a company that has enthusiastic employees. Make sure you are creating an environment that fosters that kind of culture so that you have both happy employees and happy customers.
Get Your Staff Involved
Pass on all that you learn about the do’s and don’ts of social media onto your staff members and encourage them to take part in creating a more social business. Have them contribute to the company blog or update the Facebook status. Some of your best ideas may come from your staff so don’t overlook them as a resource.
Time It Right
When posting, it is important to know the best time of day to post so that you know you are getting the best response. Do some research to know what the best time is for your posts. Your target audience may be at work from 9-5 so you might not see a lot of engagement during those hours. Find the tight time and you will see more interaction from followers.
Is your business ready to get social? What questions would you ask a social media expert to help get you started? Share with us!
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Dawn Pigoni, IVAA Member
