There is no denying that we are in a digital revolution. Advances in technology have forever changed customer expectations. Customers want to collaborate, connect and create personal, interactive, social experiences with your brand. Consider the following:
- If Facebook were a country, it would be the world's 4th largest
- Facebook has over 400 million users, with half visiting the site every day
- YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world
You need to develop a strategy to optimize your business goals through the use of these new technologies. How can you tactically deploy strategies that will lead to loyal customer engagement and long-term success? Here are a few tips to get you started:
Be Approachable
Encourage participation by being engaging and non-threatening. Social media is about connecting and the conversation should be fun-- don't talk at your customers, talk with them. Encourage employees to get involved and reach out to join in the conversations.
Be Share-Worthy
Write content that is shareable and adds value to the conversation. Do not sell or try to promote yourself (most of the time). When it's obvious that the only thing you're trying to do is promote your own interests, people are offended. Be yourself and show that you care about the success of others by offering something of value without trying to sell to them.
Be Involved
Be sure to join in the conversation and/or "like" comments made by your customers. Build relationships with 'promoters' who will say good things about your business. Don't ignore people. Would you ignore someone who comes up to talk with you at a networking event? Of course not, so why ignore them online?
I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge on Social Media and how to build relationships that strengthen brand development. You can hear more from me at the following upcoming events:
Leadership Instinct Simulcast by Express Employment Professionals
Wednesday, May 5 at 8:00 a.m., at Rochester International Event Center
Small Business Summit by Rochester Area Chamber
Friday, May 21st from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center.
Please join me at one of these upcoming sessions to learn more about social media and how it can help your business. As always, you can follow me on Twitter or join the discussion on Facebook.