Social Media
Engaging in the Public Discussion of Your Brand“You cannot choose whether or not consumers will SEE you on the Social Web… you can only choose whether or not you will JOIN them there.”
(Dave Evans, “Social Media Marketing: An Hour A Day”)
Taking part in social media, a.k.a. the “referral engine feedback loop,” is vital to your company’s brand.
The trick is figuring out which channels your fans are on, and using their enthusiasm to increase your influence.
Your company can use social media to…
- Control your business personae, message and information.
- Give credibility to valuable back links from trusted websites.
- Share information that shows you as an expert in your field.
- Share information that shows your business’ personality.
- Attract new potential customers.
- Service existing customers.
- Build your network and sphere of influence.
- Have fun!
We Feel Your Social Media Pain
Why do businesses need to give time and energy to social media, especially when there is (typically) no direct correlation to sales?
How well social media works for you, depends on what industry you’re in.
It also depends on your target market, your marketing budget (time AND money).
But most importantly, it depends on what you consider social media.
Say you’re talking about just Facebook, and you are a B2C, like retail, hospitality, entertainment, or non-profit, even a medical practice. With a little time each week, it can definitely help with your marketing goals.
If you’re B2B in manufacturing, or your target audience is not on Facebook, not so much.
There’s More to Social Media Than Facebook
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are not the only channels you should consider “social media”.
You also need to pay attention to the other “referral engine” contributors to your business profile, like…
- reviews on Yelp
- blog posts and comments on Merchant Circle or your website
- videos on YouTube
- your profile and reviews on Google Maps.
The point is your social media marketing needs to be part of a comprehensive plan.
You need a goal, a strategy, tactics, review of effectiveness, and a new plan.
You’re running your business, and don’t have an hour a day to work your plan.
Stop yelling at your computer. Let our social media expert develop and implement a plan for you…