So many times we hear about all of the things we are supposed to do with respect to social media:
Engage people online
Don’t talk about ourselves
Create content
Write blog content on a regular basis
Don’t Sell
Find your customers online
These are all good things to remember, but what can social media really do for our businesses.
Internal Motivation – Getting others involved with social media can help spread your company message online. I work with one person who is in charge of posting company pictures to Instagram. In addition, I have another person who has taken written content and posted this information online as e-books and downloadable media.
Creating new content – Social media warrants frequent updates to company websites and it also keeps current clients interested in coming back to read more.
Linkedin Posts – I have receive more comments at conferences and offline events. I never realized people were actually reading my posts. Most of them tell me they don’t comment online, but the fact they read and remember information I posted helps keep me on their radar.
New Accounts – In 2013, I have seen a dramatic increase in new accounts because people are searching like never before and if you can make the information easy to access and use, you will see a remarkable increase in new accounts each day.
More phone calls and online inquiries – People want more and if you are responsive to their questions, they will want to take that next step and do business with you. Having a strong client service staff is a must.
Biggest Learning regarding social media | This is where I have seen the most regarding results…
The Quality People online (Your Target Market) will respond 90% of the time off-line through phone, online inquiry, etc. (This is so important to remember!)
It has taken me the past three years to see this and it is hard to measure, but it can be done. Most people are searchers and seekers. They will find your information on social media sites, go to your website, look at other competitors or articles and come back. This is why it is difficult to sometimes see results. However, if you ask people how they found your company, you will hear answers like,
I saw a post on your marketing blog site and wanted to learn more,
You posted an interesting link on Twitter/Facebook/GooglePlus,
I see you all the time on Twitter
People will find you and the information about your business if it is out there. Each day you post content online, you are making a difference. You might not see it in the number of comments or retweets, but people are watching and reading and if your content hits them, you may hear more about it the next time you pick up the phone or when you see that inquiry online.
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