If you are a business owner or marketing manager, the customers you might like to cater to are probably all active on one social network site or another. Because of this, you should establish a social media presence and take your business to them. Talk to your customers, and find out which sites they use. Collect as much information as you can, and then put your plan into operation.
Invite everyone you can think of to your social media site. Contrary to popular belief, your network does not have to be comprised solely of customers and people within your niche. You can invite a wide range of people to join your network.
Put social media widgets on your site. Having a widget on your site gives followers a simple way to spread the word about your site. It can also help your readers easily share your content.
Decide whether or not you want an association with your customers. If increasing sales is your main goal, then use social media solely as an advertising channel. Send a message that arouses your customer’s curiosity and encourages them to respond. Your customers will show you the way from there.
To share updates from popular Twitter users or tag another user in a post, include an “@” symbol just before their user name. These people will retweet your post or even write a reply tweet just for you.
Make sure that all Facebook comments that come from your readers are responded to. Even negative ones, try and make things turn positive. Your customers want to know that their input is valued and respected. Respond as soon as you can so the person feels important and wanted as a customer.
Social Networking
Keep in mind that social networking is not simply about posting advertisements for your products. Social networking provides a integral base to understanding your clientele. You might also be able to have them interact with yourself and your brand. Social marketing is, of course, a great way to extol the virtues of your products, but you should look at it as more of a form of great customer relations.
Follow those on Twitter who follow you. Many of your followers expect this. This shows that you have respect for your readers. It also demonstrates you don’t see yourself as being more important than others. Let them know you appreciate them by following them back and even sending a tweet to say “hello.”
Use your business name as your usernames for social media websites. Staking a claim to your business’s name on these sites will prevent someone else from posting content that is meaningless or even damaging to you. It’s all right if you are not set up to make use of the account — but it’s important to save the right to use your name.
Blog readers should be encouraged to interact with you through the comments page. This can provide you with an avenue of communication if you don’t provide a phone number or email address. Remember that after you enable post commenting on your blog, you need to keep a close eye on the comments that get made. Delete any negative comments or spam advertisements that don’t belong in a friendly conversation.
Make sure that you provide constant updates so that your page stays as fresh as possible. Post your content by using a schedule and stick to it. This will entice readers to come back to your site more often to check for updates. Set a reminder so you will know it’s time for a new blog entry.
If you are going to utilize public forums, make sure that you do it well by connecting personally in a favorable way with the forum’s users. Even though these users have the potential to become your own customers, they will be much more inclined to try your products if you provide honest, straightforward information, rather than an aggressive sales tactic. Good relationships should be nurtured and kept with honest, useful comments and posts.
Social Media
As you have seen, social media sites should be on the top of your “to do” list when it comes to marketing your business. These sites offer you the opportunity to interact with customers and attract new customers as well as advertise your store, products and principles. Try social media marketing to see how it can help you.