Think about it, if you had an opportunity to conduct a meaningful, ongoing dialogue about your brand, company or product would you take it? When viewing social media this way it provides the basis for the development of a social media strategy. Mention meaningful conversation or ongoing dialogue to your CEO however and you would most likely be met with a blank stare or bemused smile. So how can a company utilize social media to engage with current and potential customers?
1. The first step would be to identify the top social networks where your customers or potential customers may frequent and join in the conversation (and it is a conversation).
1. The first step would be to identify the top social networks where your customers or potential customers may frequent and join in the conversation (and it is a conversation).
- Twitter - Search on keywords, individuals and companies to follow
relevant to your industry. Contribute. Add value.
- Facebook - Search and join relevant groups, pages. Contribute content. Build and promote community.
- LinkedIn - Answer questions about your area of expertise. Ask questions, help the professional community.
- RSS - Blog about your industry, upload relevant content. Use Feedburner. There is a significant subset of people who chose to utilize email subscriptions and RSS. Don't neglect them.
2. Measure your success! Implement analytics (Google Analytics) on your website. Measure the most effective activities which drive traffic to and activity on your website. For an overall brand engagement metric, you can try Net Promoter Score as a way to measure your success. Adjust and focus your social media efforts accordingly.
So the common thread for effective social media marketing is to promote community around your brand, add value and initiate and contribute to meaningful conversations - if you're doing none of those things what are you waiting for?
