Over the last year, corporate America has proven that social media isn’t just for teenagers. More and more professionals and businesses are finding new ways of using social media tools and understanding the online conversation.
Social media is hitting a tipping point of mass-adoption. It is a global change that is occurring with the emergence of $300 desktop computers, free access to high-speed Internet and the explosion of mobile technology.
From Twitter, Facebook and Reddit, companies of all sizes and industries are quickly realizing the value of social media.While it is easy to jump in and join the party, a social media strategy must be clearly defined to align and integrate with other marketing campaigns and platforms. Like any marketing campaign, determining goals and objectives upfront will ensure the greatest ROI/ROO. While there are many potential benefits to using social media—from enhanced customer service and creating affinity to driving Web site traffic and tracking competitive awareness—it is important to incorporate your social media campaign with your overall marketing strategy.
Social media is about dialogue—a conversation of sorts. It is important to first find the audience most relevant to your company and listen to the conversations that are taking place before you begin to participate in the conversation. Equally as important is ensuring your social media message and tone are aligned with your brand.
A brief overview of three of the most popular social media networks for small business:
More than 30 million people use LinkedIn today. The site is widely-regarded as one of the more well-known social networking platforms for white-collar professionals. LinkedIn is a great place to fi nd leads and contacts and is an especially useful tool for business-to-business marketing.
Users are continuing to flock to this microblogging site to answer the question, “What are you doing?” in just 140 characters. Twitter is a great platform for sharing quick bursts of company or industry information and to listen to customers, among other benefits.
Overall, 45% of Facebook’s 45.3 million active users in the US are now 26 years old or older and nearly a quarter of all Facebook users are over 35—quite a change from Facebook’s roots as a social networking tool for college students just a few years ago! Facebook can allow your customers to connect with your product on a personal level and can even allow a customer.