One thing many companies are beginning to focus on, with 2011 just around the corner, is how to create an effective following on social media platforms. We will lay out our 5 steps to help get you on the right track.
Step 1: Listen. It is important to find out how people feel about your brand. What do your customers enjoy? Why do some choose to go with your competitors over you? You can find a great deal out about your image on just about any social media platform.
Step 2: Interact. Interaction is the best way you will gain a following. Tell people about news with your company. Share things that are happening at the office. Post interesting articles that relate to your industry. Doing these things gives your company a personality and allows people to see you in a new light.
Step 3: Share Unique Content. When you sign up on multiple social media platforms make sure you differentiate between each medium. Don’t just repeat the same information on all of your sources. When you share different content on Twitter than you do on Facebook it gives people a reason to follow you on both. The same goes for LinkedIn, your company blog, and other social networks you may join.
Step 4: React. This step goes hand in hand with listening to your audience. You may hear both positive and negative feedback about your company but you must use this to your advantage. If people talk about how they loved the customer service with your business then keep it up! If someone tweets about a poor product or service you have offered then do something to change it.
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” – Winston Churchill
Step 5: Sell. The final step in the process is to add some self promotion. You should not plug your brand every minute but once in a while is fine. Also by having conversations with your follows on various social networks, this reinforces your brand image and makes selling a natural part of the process.
With many companies beginning to delve into social networking, hopefully these tips will give your efforts a jump start. Post some of your questions and comments below, what has worked for your company or maybe something that you would do differently.
Tremendous post with salient and easily implementable strategies….but just like the nike slogan…just do it. Yea I read “think and grow rich” but an all important underlying premise Hill found was all the great espoused ACTION as the key to success.
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