If not…it should be. The conversation is happening and you have 1 of 2 choices: be part of it or let it happen without you.
Customers love to CREATE, CONNECT & VOTE through social media…so you need to “be there” to listen and respond to them.
They CREATE content, post pictures of your product and write reviews about your company. They CONNECT to other brand loyalists, people they take purchasing advice from…or the brand it’s self. VOTING lets consumers voice preferences or brand loyalty in a very quantifiable way (don’t ya just love that word, “quantifiable?”) something that’s of great value to you as a business.
So let your happy customers tell the world about you through check-ins, ratings, reviews, and “social media shout-outs.” And don’t forget when you see a positive review (because you have been listening) Share it! Retweet it! Thank the commenter!
There are plenty of ways to interact with your customers through social media. Here are a few examples: (don’t pick all of ‘em…just focus on a couple)
- Start a blog and update it frequently with relevant topics for your audience.
- Set up a free Google Alert on a specific topic, and monitor and engage in online discussions.
- Join or start a LinkedIn Group on a topic of interest to potential customers.
- Create a simple series of YouTube videos answering common questions of your audience.
- Start Tweeting and share all the latest happenings in your field.
- Create a Facebook Fan Page and distribute special offers to subscribers.
The main point here, people, is…your customers are more than likely part of the conversation…it’s time for you to start getting involved online.
Then, once you have started engaging…
don’t forget…you need to measure your results. Can you attribute new customers to your online interactions? Did traffic and conversions for your website increase? Have you increased foot traffic to your locations? If so, congratulations…keep doing what you’re doing. If not, you need to take a look at your efforts and see where things can be improved. Remember, social media is like any other form of marketing…not everything works for every person, so make some tweaks and keep moving.
If you already use social media in your marketing plan…please share some of your successes!
Great blog! Do you have any recommendations for aspiring writers? I\\\\\\\’m hoping to start my own blog soon but Im a little lost on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that Im totally confused .. Any suggestions bizznesscard? Many thanks!
James…there are a number of free platforms out there for blogging. I would suggest looking into WordPress, Tumblr, Posterous or Blogger. They are all user friendly but have a few minor differences which depending on how you’re going to use the blog would depend on which one would work best for you. If you have additional questions, please let me know. Thanks!
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