Harnessing the Power of Social Media
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Thu, Nov 11, 2010
Everyone knows how to use social media, even at a basic level but many don’t understand that it is a powerful way for your company to get found. The rapid growth of social media shows no sign of slowing down so understanding how that power can be harnessed is crucial to your continued success.
Social Media Rules
But beware – it’s not about jumping on the social media bandwagon, there are certain rules to follow and understand. Failing to understand the rules of social media engagement can lead to damaged reputations and loss of consumer confidence in your business. It’s imperative you have a clear social media strategy drawn up before you jump in head first. Here are some things to consider before harnessing the power of social media:
Social Media Considerations
1. Target Your Market: Don’t join every social media network going, find out what networks your market occupies and listen to them. Take heed of what they are saying online and where they are most active. Only then can you effectively engage and target the right people.
2. Engage in Discussions: Once you’ve found your prospective
customers, engage with them, offer advice and comment on what they have written. It’s also important to ask them their opinion, this helps establish a better platform for engagement.
3. Blog for Success: Consider establishing a blog as your home base before interacting with other social media networks. Remember not to blog about your holidays or a fantastic restaurant you were in (unless of course this is relevant to your business!) but keep things focused on what’s happening in your industry such as news, events and developments. Once you’ve established a blog you can start learning how to use social media sites, what they offer and the capabilities of each site.
4. More content, more traffic: How often do you intend to blog, tweet, Podcast, ect? Determining the amount of content you intend on publishing is key. Just remember more content equates to more traffic. Deciding on how much time you intend to spend actively engaging on social media sites is important as well.
Take advantage of our free Social Media Evaluation for your brand, business or products today.