Helping Your Business Grow Through Social Media !!!!

Helping Your Business Grow Through Social Media

Still trying to figure out how to make social media part of your marketing plan?

In this posting I try to explain how you can use social media to manage your company and grow your business.

Brand management is more significant than ever in a culture that has currently grown accustomed to the internet being readily available almost anywhere through smart phones and tablets. In past years, managing your business has gone beyond the usual keyword searches and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics, and has steadily moved into social media. Social media platforms have become proving grounds for both positive and negative comments and if utilized properly, they can be a large part of your marketing plan.

Set Specific Goals

It is important to start any venture by setting your goals. Without having a specific intention, there is no way to track advancement or know if you are doing well. For instance, a good example of a specific goal could be, “I want to grow my Facebook following to 5000 members by October, while increasing interactions by 15 percent through a series of posts, interactions, and ads.” Without setting goals, your campaign will lack purpose; however, it is also important to follow the SMART acronym when setting goals, which is:

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

Social Media has Changed the Game

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn are just a few of the most used programs that companies can now use to increase their profile. Social networking sites are not only great to push products or services, but can be used to build a society of brand supporters. Through coupons, contests, promotions, and events, a company can build contacts and consumer loyalty to their brand.

The key to every social group is to foster interactions, and not just with your company, but with other active members of that social network. The more times group members share your information with their followers, the better. This means you should keep your social platforms updated frequently with high quality information relevant to your brand. Remember, posting too often can carry the disadvantage of flooding your customers’ news-feed and making them annoyed enough to unfollow you. On average, Facebook users are used to seeing one post per day, while Twitter users can handle three to five tweets in a day.

Manage Your Reputation

While social media sites are a great way to reach a completely new client base without breaking the bank, they can also quickly become a company’s worst nightmare. Social media platforms, including forums and review boards can become loaded with negative comments regarding your business and destroy a brand through word of mouth.

If a customer posts a complaint, it is important to immediately reply or respond to show the customer you are trying to rectify the situation. However, not only negative comments should receive a response. Thanking customers for positive feedback is a great way to build brand advocates and show that you listen to your customer base.

To get the highest return on your social media campaigns, brand managers should focus on providing high quality content and give customers a reason to positively interact with you and your business.

Tomorrow’s Posting: 10 Tips for Posting to Facebook!!!