Online customer service has been revolutionised by the rise of social media. Social networking is a great way to reach out to potential new clients and keep in touch with your current clientele. Now, even the smallest businesses can compete for the same audiences as the biggest brands.
Pros and drawbacks of social media
There are three main benefits to using social media:
You can reach more people with your brand’s message, which could lead to an increase in sales, your customers can help spread the word about your company, which could lead to more business, and by listening to and responding to your customers’ wants and concerns, you can strengthen your relationship with them and increase their loyalty to your brand.
This form of ‘free’ advertising, however, is not without its drawbacks. The investment of time is required.
You should also be cautious about how you present yourself online. Social media marketing must be approached professionally and strategically. Keep an eye on what people are saying about your company online, and make sure any concerns are resolved quickly.
Media for social interaction
Differentiating features of each social media platform exist. All of the major sites are free to use, while they do accept some forms of paid advertising. Which social media networks are ideal for promoting your company?
You can use Twitter to share (tweet) short messages, links, and photos (up to 280 characters in length). You can interact with the tweets of others by leaving comments or retweeting them to your own followers.
Twitter is a great tool for small businesses to spread the word and distribute relevant content like guides, blogs, and news updates. Twitter is an excellent place to attract clients and give deals because it is a casual and open platform for building relationships. If you want your company to be recognised as an industry leader, it can also give you a platform to express your opinions.
Twitter is mostly a networking tool, but it also has the ability to broadcast messages. The best communicators are those who can both listen to and engage with their audience. Twitter is a great tool for monitoring customer and competitor conversations and engaging in them yourself.
The professional focus of LinkedIn sets it apart from the other social media sites here. You can keep in touch with reliable people you’ve met in your business life.
Millions of professionals all over the world are now connected through LinkedIn, making it the standard for business networking. It’s a great place to meet prospective business partners, promote your own professional brand, and find new employees.
When utilised properly, LinkedIn can also aid in the promotion of one’s own goods and services, the acquisition of new clients, and the monitoring of one’s competitors. For instance, LinkedIn groups let you network with like-minded individuals and can boost your credibility as a subject matter expert.
There are many examples of both personal profiles and company pages for businesses.
Facebook has more users than any other social media platform. If you’re in the business of selling to the general public, you should almost surely have a profile on the social media platform. firms who sell to other firms may also benefit from using it.
Most importantly, Facebook is where you can give your brand a voice and reveal the human side of your company. It’s a good idea to mix it up with text, graphics, and videos.
Even though Facebook owns Instagram, it functions as its own social network dedicated to photo and video sharing. Instagram is very similar to Twitter in many ways. The majority of Instagram posts are viewable by anyone, and users can select whom they want to follow.
Instagram may be an engaging visual communication platform for your company. It works wonderfully for displaying wares or letting customers peek behind the curtain.
Many local companies use the image-sharing platform Pinterest to showcase their wares because of its popularity among consumers. You can make your own virtual bulletin boards and pin photographs, articles, and other works to them.
Pinterest has evolved into a virtual storefront display where customers can peruse merchandise and get ideas for their next purchase.
Pinterest is popular with merchants and manufacturers because it allows them to easily organise their products into themed “boards.” A social network that recognises and appreciates originality.
How to Make Your First Post on Social Media?
Determine your social media goals
What kind of commercial results do you anticipate from your social media efforts? Increasing your amount of followers might not lead anywhere.
Pick the right social media sites
Who are you trying to reach, and what mediums do they frequent? Consider how many channels you can successfully promote your brand on. Be careful not to burn yourself out.
Consider the character of your brand
Is your goal to appear knowledgeable, engaged, helpful, or humorous? Think about what makes your content worth reading and sharing. How will your brand be represented on social media?
Initiate your social media presence
It doesn’t matter how infrequently you update your social media profiles; people will still find them. How would you like to be perceived?
Determine who is accountable
By designating a single person to oversee the account, you can verify that all posts are written in the same voice and are on topic.
Develop a schedule
You should aim for consistency and integration with other marketing efforts. Schedule time daily to attend to social media. You can plan ahead using scheduling apps like Hootsuite.
Strive for participation
Make updates that inspire readers to talk about them and share them. Start a conversation with a question. Integrate visuals when possible for emphasis.
Don’t try to sell more than you can
Promotional content here and there is great, but constant overt advertising will drive consumers away. Think about setting a loose limit, like once every six messages.