Social media is about interaction and when firm’s have decided to create pages there is a duty to ensure you manage that media responsibly just like you would any other channel. Social media provides such an incredible opportunity to build buzz in real time about your value proposition and build your brand. Why overlook such a golden nugget?
HOW TO CASH IN ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
- POST – often: when consumers start following your pages it is usually because they are interested in what you have to offer and are interested in what you might have to say. Say nothing or very little, pages are of little value. Avoid sporadic posting (nothing for a month, then five posts with pictures all in the same day) – it creates “feed litter” and doesn’t serve customers very well.
- INTERACT – when customers reach out to you, posting something on your wall, you must respond and start playing in the sandbox. There is nothing easier in this world than clicking the “Like” button.
- RESPOND QUICKLY - I sync my pages to my smart phone so even when I’m out of the office, I am notified that somebody has liked or commented on my Facebook pages or sent me a message on Twitter. I’m not advocating workaholism; I’m saying the power of social media is that it is real time media so a quick respond makes your page alive and makes you the real person behind the technology. See my related post on Minimizing Negative Social Media.
- BE PLAYFUL & IMAGE RICH – Even if you don’t think you have a great sense of humour, try to add a little levity onto your pages. Consumers are looking for an excuse to escape for a few minutes a day as they scan through their account feeds. A catchy post is likely to incentivize them to click on it. Photos are a great way to attract followers, especially on Facebook.
- CALL TO ACTION – Behind all the niceties, social media should be helping you drive sales and build your business. There is nothing wrong with reminding consumers to go to your website, call or email for more information. Don’t do this on every post as it becomes too sales-pitchy but I find adding a link to the end of a funny post that includes a photo provides both the engagement value to the customer and also leaves a call to action piece out there in case they want to gain more information. E.G. For my travel marketing company I post, “I have moved my office temporarily to the beach today!” along with a pretty photo I took of the sand and aqua blue sea. At the end of the post I say “More info on Beaches & Activities…” with a link to my web page and all the activities, businesses that offer rentals, restaurants, etc… Customer gets a chuckle, wants to be in that photo so is likely interested to see how they can experience this so clicks on the link.
So what happens to consumers like me who post and reach out to businesses on social media but get no response? Well, I won’t speak for everyone but I can tell you I certainly feel the purchase was unappreciated, my kind words to champion for their company was unappreciated and even the time I took to post a photo and those kind words is unappreciated.
Social media is a tool you can use to your advantage and complements your other marketing initiatives. Entice customers to play with you, respond and interact in real time and make it a place they look forward to visiting. Using social media to your advantage builds customer loyalty and creates champions for your brand.