Social Media isn’t for My Company…or Is It?

You can’t get away from it. Everybody has an opinion, expressed online and off, about social media and what it might, or might not, mean for your business.

Before getting into the how’s and why’s of tweeting, let’s first talk about the overall strategy of marketing. The biggest change in recent years is not only in the tools available, like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, but what these online connectors mean to how people buy and use services and products.

There would not be any talk of social media marketing if it hadn’t had a marked affect on the “buyers” side.  Decision makers in the market for everything from computers to construction equipment are increasingly interested in what others think about the products and services they are considering. In the old days, we’d call our neighbor to find out where he takes his car for repairs. Now, we Google the place and check the reviews on Yelp to see what others are saying about it.

What started with consumer services like car repair and landscaping has morphed into online questions about specialty dyes and Teflon coatings for medical devices. The new tools now allow us to have a conversation with others with the same market need, and even engage with the seller to ask more detailed questions – all in a very short period of time.

When was the last time you asked someone to send along a company brochure to review? Most of us engage on their website first and see what information is available online. If the seller is smart, they have testimonials from others, a blog where the potential customer can read insider info and perhaps even a community of folks who use their products available to answer questions via email.

Companies need to realize that their clients often have a much better idea of how to use their products than they do and the only way to find out is to listen to them. If you do, you might find constructive criticism about the sales or billing process, discover a new market opportunity or more.  Which brings up the case for measurement; you need to track the online conversation about your company.

One simple way to do this is to set up Google alerts to ferret out online mentions.  It’s as simple as signing up for a Gmail account and activating the alerts section after you sign in – very handy.

The mistake many small and medium size businesses make is that they try to treat their online marketing strategy as if it was offline –  but it just doesn’t work that way. Online tools allow you to “engage” with your existing customers and reach potential customers as well. If you don’t keep in touch with them in a meaningful way (meaningful to them, that is), then it becomes too easy for them to find someone else who will.

Figure out what you want to accomplish first, then look at the social tools available to reach your goals.  Decide on the best approach, given the amount of money and time you have available.  This can make a big difference in your sales now, and even more importantly in this economy, in the future.

Don’t automatically assume that your company is not appropriate for social media. Think of it as an important way to talk to your clients and your prospects. The use of these tools MAY help. Yes, there is a reluctance about opening up this conversation for many companies.  But remember, there is probably already a conversation taking place somewhere in cyberspace about you, your company, their services, problems with customer service, etc.  Ignoring the whole subject will not make it go away.

Engagement is the apex of marketing success – people talking about us, our product, and our services. We now have important tools to facilitate that conversation and find out what’s being said about our company, both good, and bad. It is increasingly critical to know how your company is perceived on the Internet, whether you want to deal with it, or not.

Rick Simmons is a principal at Dinkum Interactive, a firm specializing in online marketing solutions for small and medium sized businesses around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience in advertising and marketing, Simmons has spent the last four years focused on search engine optimization, and other Internet marketing strategies.  Reach him at 267-626-9094 or [email protected].

Rick Simmons is a principal at Dinkum Interactive, a firm specializing in online marketing solutions for small and medium sized businesses around the globe. With more than 25 years of experience in advertising and marketing, Simmons has spent the last four years focused on search engine optimization, and other Internet marketing strategies. Reach him at 267-626-9094 or [email protected]