The term “social media” has taken on epic proportions in the business world. Reminiscent of land grabs in the wild west, many feel that they must do something, anything using social media to avoid falling behind. All too often, businesses decide to simply start posting once in a while without clarity as to what they hope to achieve. When nothing comes of it after a month or two, they get frustrated and decide it’s a waste of time and money.
But the ways in which organizations can use the power of social channels are as varied as the businesses themselves. Social media is not the answer to anything in and of itself. It is the use of social media to achieve a purpose that provides value.
As a content marketing professional, managing social media often falls under my job description. But when someone says they want to use social media for their business, the first question that comes to mind is, “Why? What does that mean to you?” For instance, here are some of the many ways businesses can use social media.
Customer Care
Customers are increasingly using social channels to air concerns about businesses. Why? Because publicly addressing a company can be the quickest and most rewarding way to get its attention. Truly social companies embrace this, knowing that even angry customers can result in a positive impression online if their concerns are handled with grace.
Socially savvy companies use tools to listen for mentions of their organization and products wherever they appear online (social channels, review sites, forums, etc.) so that they can respond quickly. These companies are readily accessible to address concerns, provide service, and right wrongs in real-time – showing that they are current and attentive to their customers. Done properly, providing customer service through social channels can quickly set an organization apart from its competitors.
Community Management
This is a concept that has many definitions and is often used interchangeably with “social media management.” It’s essentially a hybrid of marketing and customer service. Community management involves proactively building a rapport with your current and potential customers so you can gain a deep understanding and responsiveness to them as an organization.
This type of activity within organizations is not new, and it certainly isn’t limited to social media. Effective community management involves engagement with customers both online and off. But social media has given the concept a fresh twist as it has created many new opportunities for engaging with an organization’s community. With social media, this might mean establishing or joining chat sessions on Twitter. Or it could also mean participating in relevant groups or events on Facebook and LinkedIn in addition to interacting with your clients one-to-one.
Marketing
The internet has changed the way customers make purchasing decisions. They perform their own research online and have little patience for smoke and mirrors. Social media is an opportunity for organizations to step outside the boundaries of their own websites, meet customers wherever they are online, and communicate that they are worthy of their business.
Marketing is responsible for establishing your brand’s message and communicating it to your target audience using materials and channels that appeal to them. Since social media is a communication channel, it is often viewed as a marketing function.
Social media is used for many marketing activities, including:
- Communicating your organization’s values, knowledge, and credibility.
- Establishing brand recognition.
- Creating lead generation campaigns.
- Public relations.
- Building partnerships.
- Competitive intelligence.
- Market research.
- Event promotion.
- Driving traffic online (to your website, review sites, webinar registration, etc.).
- Establishing relationships with industry influencers.
The methods and channels that your business will use to perform these activities will vary dramatically based on your industry. So do your research, know where your customers hang out, and focus your efforts accordingly.
Personal Branding
Personal branding describes the process of marketing an individual as knowledgeable and respected in their field. There are both online and offline opportunities to bolster a personal brand. But since it is now common to “Google” the people you intend to do business with, career-minded individuals have grown keenly aware of the impact of their digital identities.
Although typically perceived as a career-building activity, personal branding is also an opportunity for organizations to shine. For instance, any company that provides value by offering the expertise of its personnel would benefit from employees with strong personal brands. Consultancy firms, agencies, or any company that offers a specialized service would be good examples of this. Organizations that offer products can also leverage personal branding by showcasing their company values through key employees or the words of their top executives.
An additional benefit of encouraging employees to nurture their personal brands is that companies show that they value and trust their workforce. This creates happier employees and helps to attract top talent. Your employees will engage in social media in one form or another. Recognizing that fact and working with it rather than against it will be helpful to your organization in the long run.
Social Selling
Not to be confused with marketing, which is typically aimed at a wider audience, social selling describes the use of social channels to nurture relationships with individual prospects toward the goal of closing a sale. Social selling is all about being where your customers are and following up on leads in an efficient yet respectful way. It allows salespeople to stay in front of prospects by offering useful information rather than going for the hard sell.
There are many who try to use social media as a hard-selling tool, but the social media community sees this as bad manners. The general rule of thumb is to treat social media like you would a networking event – introduce yourself, get to know people, and build relationships before asking for the sale.
The Bottom Line
The possibilities for using social media in business are endless, and I certainly have not covered them all. It is no wonder that many find the concept of embarking on this endeavor daunting. I often feel that when organizations say they want to use “social media,” what they really mean is “I need to improve my digital footprint,” which is more about your online image overall. The use of social channels is just one piece of the puzzle.
Social media is sometimes viewed as a “young person’s game” and delegated to recent grads or summer interns. I understand where this mindset comes from, but I worry about organizations that take this approach. Our youth may be comfortable with social media, but this doesn’t mean they have the skills to manage your company’s public image. Be mindful of your approach to social media. Hire people with the background required to engage with your public daily and to establish your organization as knowledgeable, credible, and trustworthy in your field.
In the end, your organization’s goals and objectives should guide your use of social media. If you want to experiment, choose one or two channels to focus on and start posting information that is meaningful and relevant to your target audience. Keep in mind that people participate in social channels to be heard, entertained, and to build connections, so appeal to your followers on a human level. Avoid the hard sell, but weave in opportunities for them to click through to your website where you can strengthen those relationships. Start small and grow from there.
