At least once a week, I still have someone tell me that they think using social media for their business is a waste of time and that they just don’t see the point. Then, they usually ask me why I think businesses should use social media.
First and foremost, it’s simply the numbers. Facebook now has over half a billion active users – and 250,000 million of those log on every single day. LinkedIn has over 70 million members and Twitter has over 100 million registered users. There’s a pretty good chance that someone you may want to work with (or for!) uses these tools.
Yes, there are certainly companies whose target market is so defined that they may not want to expend resources reaching huge numbers of people who would never buy from them. However, isn’t there the possibility that some of those people might know someone else who would? Word-of-mouth is a powerful motivating factor in making purchasing decisions.
Even if you don’t expect direct business from social networking, it’s a great way to raise the general awareness of your company across a broad spectrum of people. Maybe they won’t buy your product, but they might be interested in your company’s philanthropic efforts. Or, maybe they would be interested in working for you someday. While the bottom line is the most important factor, it’s not the only factor.
It’s critical to remember that social networking is another tool that you can use in your marketing efforts. As such, it needs to be integrated into your marketing plan. Your messaging must be consistent across all platforms, whether it’s advertising, public relations, marketing materials, website, Facebook and so on. To the degree that it is possible with the various sites, your page must have the same “look and feel” as your other marketing materials. It’s pretty easy to develop a personalized Twitter background and all it takes is simple programming to have a specialized Facebook Fan page.
The bottom line is this: if you decide to use social media to market your business, before you ever start, you have to have a clear picture as to what your goals are. Some will be measurable and some will be intangible, but as with any marketing effort, you need to know what outcome you want before you begin.
So that’s my soapbox for today. What companies and organizations have you seen that have successfully integrated social media with their other marketing efforts?
Thank you for reminding everyone about integration and consistency. Everything we post online is public — make sure you represent as the same person, regardless of the SM site.
Lida
People always seem to assume that they can be “casual” online – and they take it to an extreme. They most definitely can be more personable, but it still all has to blend together!
Social Media does pay off for business. Actually, I just got another client this past week due to social media. Recently I reconnected with somebody I knew years back. Well long story short, he was impressed by my work, website and social media presence that now I’m meeting with his company’s CEO to finalize a training schedule. Only imagine if I wouldn’t had connected or taken the time on FB and Linked In to share my knowledge.
As always, I really like your straight forward and helpful posts!!!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth – you’re a great example of how to blend personal and professional posts. We get to know enough of you to know we like you as a person; therefore, we want to work with you as a professional!
Thanks, Deb! I agree. If you have the exposure to that many users, and it’s free, why wouldn’t every business do it? Seems crazy NOT to spend the time to learn and apply.
A insightful blog post there mate ! Thanks for it !
Glad you liked it and I hope you find all my posts insightful!
Just wanted to let you know the sidebar looks off in my browser with 1600×1200 resolution.
Thanks for letting me know. I’ll check it out.