social media strategies for business success
Social media has exploded across the globe in the last decade, and continues to grow exponentially. Not used simply for class notes or finding a study group, social networking sites like Facebook or Linkedin have proven to be effective in marketing strategies for businesses worldwide. Learning how to use social media effectively to market or promote your product or business is easier than you may think. With more and more businesses setting up company profiles online, and marketing specifically to targeted individuals via popular social media sites and online networking, using these tools effectively can be a simple and cost efficient way to market and promote your business, and is relatively easy to maintain.
1) Maintain a Balance
If you do nothing but promote your product to try and generate sales, you probably won’t get very far. No one wants to be hit with a barrage of marketing techniques every time they log in, and selling constantly can actually cause a loss in revenue, rather than a gain. It is important to reduce selling or advertising to about 10% of the content you display on your social media sites. The other 90% should focus on providing valuable, useful and entertaining information to your potential customers which will keep them coming back to your site for more. By providing a valuable service, your business builds a relationship with customers and potential customers alike.
2) Get Involved and Communicate
Don’t just post a link, picture or entertaining tidbit on your Facebook page then wander off until it’s time to post another one. Your customers and fans constantly leave comments, questions and concerns on social media sites, and communicating with them is a vital technique in promoting and encouraging good customer relations. Don’t focus only on problems or issues that may arise. Be humorous. If a customer says something nice about your project, click “like” on their post. Get creative. This is a golden opportunity to get out of the typical business drag and let your unique creative juices flow. Post pictures. Take surveys. Ask questions or have contests. By creating an active role in customer relationships, a more personal feel can develop between businesses, existing customers, and potential future clients.
3) Don’t put all your eggs in One Basket
Don’t simply create a company profile page on Facebook and expect your work to be done. Create a diverse portfolio of options that span different social media sites. Post videos on YouTube, then import them onto Facebook. Get involved with LinkedIn. By combing more than one social media network, your customer base can grow exponentially. Provide links to your sites, and all of the sites that you run should have an opt-in option to join your email marketing list. Make your profiles entertaining and fun, while maintaining a professional atmosphere. Take a good look at what your customer base is into and interested in, and try to get in on the action. By diversifying your options, social media can quickly turn into profits.
Social media strategies for marketing are propelling business profits forward by leaps and bounds. With an almost endless supply of new customers, businesses that turn to social media sites as a source of marketing can significantly out-perform their competition which relies on more traditional methods. By following the tools and tips above, you can promote your business in a way that is fun, informational and valuable to your client base and create a relationship that is both ongoing and mutually beneficial.
The author manages social media for a motivational speaker and is passionate about inspirational self-help.