Social Media Q and A

Posted on 6 Jun 2013 in General

Question:

 I am looking to develop my business through Social Media. So, is it for business, does it work and which platforms are for me?

Answer:

 What is Social Media: it is the digital equivalent to word of mouth referrals, a chance to engage with people, your prospects and customers. Social Networking is about making connections; Social Media is about the content that you distribute online on social media platforms. Social media includes Blogs, micro blogs (Twitter), Wikis, Social Networks (Facebook), Podcasts, Photographs, Pictures, Video and PDF downloads. It turns online communication into an interactive dialogue.

Social Media is for Business:  Yes, it can be used for customer service, feedback, prospecting new customers and increasing sales. It is about engagement rather than selling. Selling is a by-product of your successful dialogue and engagement which leads to increased revenue. The web rewards this dialogue – pull marketing over push marketing. Customers and prospects are increasingly choosing to investigate and discuss with businesses through social media. This helps the right kind of prospects to find you. It allows your business to promote your brand, filter and segment your target audience for maximum sales.

It does work:  Recent research shows that in the UK there are just under 33 million active Facebook accounts , 34 million active Twitter accounts and 11 Million LinkedIn accounts. A Recent study published in Forbes shows that in 2012, 78.6% of sales people using social media out performed those who weren’t using social media.  Dell used Twitter to increase revenues by $6.5 million by offering incentives and deals exclusively on Twitter. A local company recently used social media to recruit a new member of staff. The cost was £35 and resulted in over 1,200 views, and quality shortlist of 30 top-notch candidates. Does it work for business? Yes.

Which Platforms are right for me?: Choosing the right platform, or social media online tool, is vital. The answer to this question is as individual as your business is. The starting point is this: do you sell top other business (B2B) or to consumers (B2C)? Who or what is your ideal customer? Which social media tools do they use? The tools or platforms that they use are then the most important tools for your business to use to engage them where they are. For example, Facebook is great for B2C and LinkedIn is great for B2B.

Advantages and Disadvantages: There are various advantages to using social media within your business. Benefits include: increased visibility, brand awareness, increased engagement, increased conversion rate, Search Engine Optimisation and it adds another customer service channel to name but a few. Some disadvantages include leaving the default privacy settings in effect and not separating personal activity from business activity, having unbranded incomplete profiles, having comments that affect your business and brand. If you engage in social media, choose and use the tools that work for your business – it can grow your business with few drawbacks if done right.

Have a Social Media Action Plan: How do you use Social Media right within your business? Having a social media action plan, associated social media policies and procedures for your business will help you succeed. Think about how it fits with your business and marketing campaigns, choose the right platforms and tools for you, produce quality content, monitor and adapt your approach to maximise impact and sales.

Evolutio provides Social Media, IT,  Business and various other workshops.  So to find out more about these courses or to find out more information on our Training or Social Media or our other Services, call 0844 504 6534 or  Contact Us.