Social media is the new way to build a following in the community. The beauty of social media – and the internet, of course – is that now your “community” can be worldwide. No longer are you relegated to local customers attracted with yellow pages ads, billboards, magazine spreads, and TV commercials. The number of social media platforms available is large: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most well-known, but there is also Instagram, Pinterest, Yelp, and many others. If you aren’t using at least one of these forms of social media, you’re missing out on valuable business opportunities.
Before you start blogging, tweeting, and post to Facebook, however, make sure you’ve done the basic foundational work that is necessary to ensure your social media success.
What foundational work?
Tell them who your ideal customer is so that they can determine if they’re a good fit for your company. Tell your prospects what unique offerings you have for them, and make sure it’s not your great customer service. Great customer service, in today’s market, is not unique, it’s expected. For example, if you’re competing on price, explain why your price is less than your competitors. If you’re competing on function, explain what your product can do that your competitors’ can’t.
Sometimes the best way to do this is to ask your current customers. People who do business with you can offer you more insight into your value than you can; if they’re happy, you’ll learn why they are and how to keep them that way, and if they’re unhappy, you’ll learn why and get some ideas on how to fix that for them and for prospective customers.
Next, have a plan to let your prospective customers try out your product or service. Offer coupons, a trial, or a money back guarantee – all great ways to build trust.
Finally, make a commitment to fit social media into your marketing strategy. Schedule it into your calendar like you would a blog post, a newsletter publish, and the like.
Once you’ve built this foundation, you’re ready to jump into the realm of social media. Knowing your own ideal customer – the demographics, the way they think and what is important them, what you are going to say to them and how they are going to experience their interaction with you – is how you choose the social media platforms that will work best for your company.
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