Below we outline why social media is so important to your company and some social media business strategies that will benefit your organization.
When our grandchildren ask us one day to define a major trend at the turn of the century, the first thing that would come to many minds is social media. From Facebook to Linkedin we live in a world where sharing our lives online with others, friends and strangers, has become the norm. While there are drawbacks at times (potential employers plus your vacation to Cabo don’t mix so well), social media has the power to connect people in a way that we’ve never seen before.
Social Media Business Strategies
Branding
Whether you just have a Facebook page, or you tweet, YouTube and blog too, your social media personality should match your brand, both in content and design. Your logo should appear in all of online profiles and your “voice” should carry through all these mediums. Whether through writing or a video blog, prospective clients and your participants enjoy experiencing your “voice”. Social media interaction will look a lot less forced if you offer a consistent online presence.
Blogs are a great place to showcase your programs, offer up participant testimonials or discuss issues and ideas that you and your audience really care about. Clients today like to feel engaged and connected and are already used to achieving this through online social interaction, so give them what they expect!
Connection with Clients
Social media is basically a method of referrals when it comes to your social media profiles and its users. By integrating sharing abilities within your website, application or on your social media profiles, you are encouraging your users to share your brand and what you have to offer, which can net higher conversion rates. There are many ways to automate social media that will save you time and give you the space to incorporate this business strategy without being overwhelmed. Here are a few ways to use social media engagement tools to connect with others:
- Incorporate social media into your application. If you’re using an online registration software, include social media buttons when an applicant finishes or in other relevant points (“I’m attending x event on x date!”) For example, when a user finishes their application, offer a way to tweet or post to their wall that they’ve completed the application and they are super excited about your program or event. Friends who see the post could be interested in having a similar experience and click on the link in the post to learn more about you.
- Connect with and keep in touch with current and past participants. Write a blog that is a day by day or program by program recap from programs that are running. Prospective clients will love to read about a real experience they can expect to have with you and you can give an outlet and fun way to engage your participants as well.
- Post pictures and tag participants or ask questions on your profiles encouraging users to respond. When they do, write back! Giving your company a voice and interacting with applicants and participants on their level not only makes them excited about you but makes them feel connected and valued. Don’t underestimate how far a happy birthday post or a tagged status shout out can go.
In Part 2 of this post, learn how to use social media to complement and improve your marketing strategy and practical ways to implement social media tools.