It’s an early and very snowy Monday morning here Kansas City. Right now we are flying to Toronto (on what feels like the smallest airplane ever made) for the 2011 Landscape Ontario Congress Trade Show. Even though we have numerous clients in Canada, it’s our first time coming here for a trade show. If you are going to be attending the trade show please stop and say hi at our booth #1617, we’re excited to be in Toronto all week (it’s suppose to be 15 degrees warmer than KC).
I really wanted to talk just a little bit about social media today which also kind of ties into online ads, forums, and blogging. When a lot of you think social media, you think of Facebook and how much time either your kids waste on it or how you find yourself spending more and more time on it. You hear the horror stories of how students aren’t getting jobs because of pictures or information they put up on their profiles, and how nothing is private anymore. BUT, Facebook can be great for your company!
Facebook is used by non-profit organizations, companies large and small, and celebrities. Don’t under estimate the power of Facebook because it’s almost completely customizable now. As a company, you can create custom pages, post links, post videos, tag pictures, and announce new updates for your fans. The ability to advertise on Facebook could be my favorite part.
You can advertise to the most narrow demographic of your choosing, know who clicks on your ad, and where they go after you ad. This allows you to get a better grasp on who your consumers are whether you are a B2B (business to business) or a B2C (business to consumer) company. You will likely find new potential clients in areas you have never considered before. By having pictures, videos, and employees posting on the company Facebook wall you are able to make a personal connection with customers like you have never been able to before.
Blogging is great because you can establish your credibility and also become easier to find online by using the corrects tags for your blog posts. Blogging allows you to start a more in-depth discussion with your audience.
Twitter makes you smart! Ha! I say this because on Twitter you can gain a lot of new knowledge quickly. This is done by clicking on links of people you follow. No more reading the newspaper, go to Twitter if you want news that is updated every second.
Forums are extremely resourceful. They are online discussions specifically for a certain industry, interest, or community. Do you have questions or need advice, well then ask the other people on the forum who have the same interests as you. Build personal and business relationships.
Use social media to learn about your clients and competitors. Here’s 2 main points to keep in mind when participating in social media:
- You should only make comments online that would say to the person’s face. There is a high level of anonymity in forums and blogs, and sometimes that causes people to express their feelings in a much stronger or less mature way than they would if people knew it was them making the comment.
- Do not be offended if someone makes a negative comment about your company or one of the products you sell. Take it as constructive criticism. Businesses always say they really want to know what people think of their company or product(s) and social media gives them that chance. Wouldn’t you want direct, quick feedback with your consumers? Be PROACTIVE, LISTEN to your consumers whether it be positive or negative, THANK them and let them know you are addressing the issue. That is how you have good customer service online!
Social Media is like cell phones; sure you were able to live without them but now that you use them, you couldn’t image living without your cell phone.
Become of fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @crewtrackersnow, subscribe to CrewTracker Software’s YouTube channel