Digital Clicks writes:
Nowadays, no matter your size or industry, a social media presence is required by most companies. The Internet Advertising Bureau UK found that nearly 80% of consumers would be more inclined to buy more often in the future because of a brand's presence on social media. This itself speaks volumes on the importance of social media in today’s ever changing digital world. It is safe to say social media is changing the way business is done.
Here at Digital Clicks we often advise that when first creating social media accounts, you as a company bear in mind the impression you want to give to users. A good example of two very different approaches to social media are: Paddy Power’s Twitter account which puts a funny spin on all content posted; and BT, who use there twitter account to regularly answer user’s questions.
To ensure that content is regularly being posted across all social media platforms, often social media management tools are used. There are many tools currently available for a fee which all have their own capabilities. A popular advantage when using a social media management tool is that it allows you to schedule regular content to be posted throughout the day, which can help save valuable time It is also very common for businesses whom just don’t have the resources or time to run their social media accounts to hire social media experts, who they can trust to convey the correct tone of voice and interact with customers regularly.
Ensuring the right content is posted is only half the battle. Often consumers will take to social media to voice a complaint direct to a company. How every consumer interaction is handled with a company’s social media is crucial. One wrong tweet, status or comment and you could be in serious trouble very quickly. It’s surprising the impact a 140 character tweet can have on a brand’s online reputation.
Knowing what do to with your social media is key. Social media is something that time should be spent making sure it is right, because at the end of the day this is the platform where you can create a personality for your brand and interact with your customers. Social media optimisation (SMO) was originally designed to drive traffic from social media sites, however, SMO is now considered significantly more important as good SMO will drive traffic from both social site referrals and from search engines; and can also make you sales.
Often many people assume by merely setting up social media they will achieve good SMO, this of course is wrong. There are many steps which need to be undertaken. Ensuring that you are choosing the correct forms of social media is vital. The decision is often based on what your target market uses most. Another step is to ensure that all posts across your social media presence include engaging content, as at the end of the day you want people to interact with what you’re saying!
In today’s ever changing world social media, you have a platform not only for giving your brand a personality, but also for interacting with customers on a personal level. The question you really need to ask yourself is: ‘can my business afford not to have social media?’
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