If you’re like many business organisations that are testing the water with social media it is important to remember that without the right social media infrastructure, your efforts will not deliver the results that you expected.
Why social media infrastructure?
You may be left wondering whether social media is just all hype and does not work for your business, while the reality is that social media marketing delivers results and is the new way that successful businesses market their products and services online.
Just like businesses who fail to succeed because they do not have the knowledge of using marketing tools at their disposal, social media marketing can only deliver successful results if you take the time to set up the infrastructure before executing effective campaigns.
A social media friendly website
The first step in setting up your social media infrastructure is to take a good look at your website. Most business websites are not developed with social media in mind. This is because business websites are designed with the objective of “selling” to customers and not to initiate a dialogue that could eventually result in a sale. To overcome this deficiency, install a blog within your website, where you can post updates about your products and services. Provide useful information and ask for feedback on your blog posts. It’s important to remember not to use posts that try to sell to prospects, but to try and position your company as a leader in its field.
Providing greater value
If you have a Facebook page for your company, you’re probably ahead of many other businesses that have not yet got one. However it’s quite likely that your Corporate Facebook page has not seen much activity. The reason for this is that consumers are concerned about products and services, rather than your company. To overcome this situation, set up product pages where customers can provide feedback on particular products, ask questions and share their experiences. This will also serve as your free market research platform as you will get feedback without having to pay a market research company.
When using micro blogging sites such as Twitter, remember to make posts that provide real value. This could be in the form of breaking industry news, product tips or other relevant information. To add even more value, provide a link that points back to a blog or a video that expands on your posts. Not only will this provide your visitors the opportunity to learn more through the information that you provide but also the ability to build a database by using an opt-in form on your blog.
While memberships of B2B groups like those found in LinkedIn can be beneficial as a positioning strategy, for customer leads generation and finding Joint Venture partners, organisations need to actively establish a presence in these groups by regular participation in discussions, exchanging ideas and asking meaningful questions. While your questions could start off a lively debate, your answers will position you as an expert in your niche.
Businesses need to approach social media in much the same way as they approach a business plan. Begin with the purpose of using a social media strategy. Then develop the infrastructure, appoint staff to administer the strategy and monitor the results. Campaigns that are successful can be expanded; those which aren’t can be rectified.
Visit our website http://SocialMediaForBusiness.com.au to review our Social Media for Business Training & Consulting Services
