How to use social media in
your business strategy
Having a social media
presence is a critical part of any business, but what is the best way to get
started?
Five years ago, using social media to
spread the word about your company was regarded as an incredibly progressive
thing to do; today, it is an important part of any business. This article
outlines the considerations and opportunities of using social media.
A recent report on global trust in
advertising and brand messaging found that types of communication typically
associated with social media, such as word-of-mouth recommendations and
consumer opinion posted online, continue to rank as the most influential of
all. 84 percent of global respondents across 58 countries to the Nielsen online
survey said word-of-mouth recommendations from family and friends were the most
trustworthy source of information.
So how do you take advantage of this
growing area of communication? And what are some of the pitfalls to avoid while
doing so? While some businesses find it entirely natural to involve themselves
with customers online, others - particularly those who have not yet cultivated
a social media audience - may find the notion of getting online and joining the
conversation daunting.
Why use social media?
For Mark Brayton, Director, Interactive
Marketing, Barclays, using social media is all about encouraging communication
between your business and your audience: "My team are there to try to
enhance the interactions between our colleagues and our customers,"
Brayton says.
He adds: "There are two reasons all
brands should have a social media presence. First, this is where consumers at
large already are – they are already operating within the social space, and all
businesses need to be present where their customers are. The second is that
from a reputational perspective, conversations about your business are taking
place anyhow, so it is important to be part of that dialogue."
So how do you get started?
First, work out where your audience is
already operating. Are they largely using Facebook and Twitter? LinkedIn and
Pinterest? Or perhaps YouTube?
In his book Tweet Naked, online marketing
expert Scott Levy suggests that you should pick one or two platforms and do
them well, rather than trying to be immediately present in every social space.
"When it comes to choosing which
social media platforms you'll utilise, select those that offer the best
potential for reaching your ideal audience and broadcast the type of media
you've decided is best suited for your company,” Levy says. “Most people and
companies can't be amazing on every platform; that takes a huge amount of
bandwidth and resources. Instead of having a sub-par representation in a lot of
places, be awesome on a few of them."
In Entrepreneur magazine, Levy lists the
advantages of the major social networks: Pinterest is good for communication
via visually rich imagery and has a large female audience; LinkedIn is good for
growing connections in the business world; YouTube is good for reaching a vast
audience but requires good videographers; Twitter is perfect for "in the
moment" communication; and Facebook is one of the "most powerful
social platforms in the world" not least of all because of its enormous
scale.
Considerations
There are potential pitfalls of using
social media to consider, and not all uses of social media are successful.
Brayton says: "I think there are two
key things that could potentially present a pitfall. First, we have seen many
brands using social in a way that isn’t very relevant – either they don’t have
the authority to talk to a customer in a particular place or they are not
communicating with a customer in the way they want. The second is around the
issues associated with real-time communication. I think brands who set up an
expectation that they are responding quickly and then don’t deliver can seem
like they are not really listening."
Other considerations of using social
media include: sending poorly timed or ill-thought out messages, failing to
identify and address legitimate concerns, finding your brand subject to abuse
or ridicule, and failing to respond to feedback in a timely or adequate manner.
The possible rewards
While it is important to bear in mind the
potential pitfalls around using social media, there are many rewards especially
when considering customer relationship management. Savvy customer service teams
have seen huge success with social media as a means to promote goods, services
and initiatives, and this positive client experience can end up being spread
virally around the world by word of mouth. Just some of the potential
advantages of using social media include: direct communication with your
audience, reaching your audience in their space, not your own, and being able
to jump on trends and address concerns both publicly and immediately.
Which companies get it
right?
For Brayton, Virgin Atlantic provides a
brilliant model for successful social media servicing communication. He says:
"Virgin are hugely customer-centric, very focused around why you might
want to engage with them, and they always do what they say. They are very open
and transparent - it feels like social is at the very heart of the organisation."
He also identifies B&Q, the DIY and
home improvements company as a model of good social media communication:
"they have created some lovely YouTube content to guide customers through
the different ways they may be able to use their products," he says.
Brayton also praises high-end British fashion house Burberry, who use social
media to show off their new collections and generate user interest and
feedback.
So how do you make sure you
get it right too?
To do it right, you may need to have the
right staff who can execute your social media strategy properly, and understand
the importance of upholding the standards of your brand. Using social media
requires commitment and attention, so it is important that staff are fully
committed to delivering once your accounts are up and running.
Writing for Bloomberg Businessweek Stephen
McKee, the author of Power Branding, says that the most important thing to do when
using social media, is always to make sure you are opening up dialogue and
talking to people, not just talking at them.
"Customer relationships are built on
trust," McKee says. "And relationships are reciprocal; I’ll share
with you my deep thoughts if you’ll share yours with me. The problem with
traditional CRM is that it turns people into data and relationships into rules
of engagement. But technology has no empathy, and a database will never be as
responsive as a living, breathing person."
With social media fast becoming a key
part of all businesses' communication strategies, it is important not to get
left behind. Pick the social media platforms that suit your business best, get
the right team around you, engage with your audience and commit to building a
long-term relationship with your customers. If you use social media right, the
potential rewards are huge.
No comments:
Post a Comment