Social media, sometimes called “new media,” may never beat the authenticity and marketing power of word of mouth, but it operates in much the same way. In the online world of social media, people engage each other in conversation, and give opinions that impact your business. Whether you market directly to consumers, or B2B, social media helps you build online trust, brand awareness, and professional contacts.
Social media platforms include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp. Each platform has its own culture, requirements, and uses, so before you get started with social media, spend time researching which one would be best for you based on your business strategy. For example, if you market business to business, spending time on an entertainment-focused or consumer-oriented site might not be the best fit. A great resource for How To guides and breaking social media news is Mashable.com.
Keep in mind that you don’t actually need to start blogging or using a Twitter account to benefit from the people who do. You can search blogs through Google or Technorati.com to see what people are writing about your business or industry keywords. As a completely open and searchable platform, Twitter lets you search by location, name, or keywords. There are also an ever-expanding list of Twitter clients that allow you to group, organize, and visualize clusters of “tweets” to see what topics are trending. Your organization can use this information to gauge the popularity of certain terms or products. At Bold, we prefer Hootsuite because it's simple to use, you can add LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, PLUS--it's free!
Do's and Don’ts for Business
DO:
- Seek reviews, insight, and customer engagement in a respectful and relevant way. Ask your customers to Twitter, blog, or Yelp about your services, and respond to any criticisms in a professional, patient manner that shows off your customer service skills.
- Provide customer support by responding quickly to complaints or questions about your business and products. Be professional, and respond promptly. Social media users expect rapid response times.
- Build awareness locally or regionally. Use geographical features in Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to let people know where you are and who you serve.
- Share your expert opinions to build trust – give out good information and resources. Share links that you found helpful. Trust is everything, so be honest about who you are and what your business does.
DON’T:
- Use social media exclusively for sales pitches, or special offers. These practices are called “spammy” and can get you criticized, banned, or worse. The key is to focus on providing valuable information that your customers can actually use—not bombarding them with pricing or product information. You can announce new products and sales, but do this sparingly.
- Hide behind a fake identity or persona – the culture around social media has always stressed transparency. And now, with new FCC rules, bloggers, Tweeters, and other users must disclose any relationships with advertisers that might influence their opinion.
- Get angry and use social media to rant. You may regret what you’ve said, and in the online archives, you can’t take it back because it will always be there.
Glossary - Basic Social Media Terms Interpreted for Business
Blogs – chronological web logs of opinion, advice, news, or lists. Best as highly informative entries that build trust with your customers. A blog post with comments and questions in response from real people, not just spammers, is a good sign of reader engagement.
Facebook – primarily for private use to connect with friends, this can be a great place to set up a fan page for nonprofit causes or if you market directly to consumers. Privacy settings allow you to limit viewers to “friends” that you approve. www.facebook.com
LinkedIn – a professional networking site that allows you to make connections with vendors, partners, colleagues, mentors, and more. Ask for introductions or just use it to manage your professional contacts. Look for the CSAA LinkedIn group to get started with security discussions, ask or answer questions, and more. www.linkedin.com
Mashable – a website that follows emerging media and technology trends, and offers free how to’s. From the term “mashup” which means to synthesize at least two online tools to create something new. www.mashable.com
Spammy – use of social media that is email spam-like in its intent. Usually refers to unsolicited product pitches, dishonest representation, or seeking to hack someone’s account.
Tweet – 140 character micro blog post on Twitter. Can be shared on Facebook fan pages, websites, blogs, or Linked In accounts.
Twitter – a “microblogging” site that features short bursts of information or status updates. Great for sharing liks, ideas, and asking questions. Completely searchable unless a user has protected their tweets. www.twitter.com
Yelp – a site with reviews of service providers. Encourage customers to review your services. More prominent in metropolitan markets. www.yelp.com