by Rob Sears.
During the past few days, the raw power of social media has been on full display. The Libyan conflict, royal wedding and demise of Osama bin Laden have all been the subjects of intense online conversation. The Atlantic has an excellent infographic about the role of social media during the royal wedding, but I think the best example is the person who, according to USA Today article inadvertently live-tweeted the firefight in which bin Laden was killed.
These events really underscore the new reality of our time…social media is everywhere. It sees all. And it tells all.
It begs the question then: what are people saying about your company or brand? Is no news the same as good news? In many ways, no chatter can be almost as harmful as bad chatter. Both can have the same result of driving traffic to your competitors. While it's easier to build a brand online than it is to rebuild one, it's not much consolation when business is being driven to your competitor.
Consider the following:
1. What kind of customers are online?
Does your company deliver business to business products or services? Don't assume that your clients/customers/users aren't online. Three out of every four Americans are on the Internet, with more than half being active on social media. This applies to businesses too. Many business-to-business leaders are using social media to promote thought leadership, communicate with clients and potential clients. In fact, annual growth in US B2B online marketing spend is set to reach 14% by 2012, and spend on social media and lead generation sites is forecast to grow at an annualized rate of 21% and 17% respectively to 2013 (Source).
With the number of online users continuing to grow, if your firm is not actively participating, chances are strong that you're losing potential sales and clients.
2. How do your customers use the Internet?
Ten years ago, the Web was more a form of one-way communication. That's changed. Today, websites engage users by offering commenting, sharing, connecting, "liking," following, and a host of other social media activities.
A key to growing your social media presence is understanding how your customers spend their time online. InView has conducted numerous analyses for clients and has found that different demographics use social media tools in different ways. One client’s customers were very engaged in message boards and MySpace, while another client's customers spent considerable time on the company’s own social forum . Knowing how your company’s clients use the Internet will help you get your company or brand in front of them.
3. What is your firm doing with social media right now?
Hopefully the answer is not "nothing." Equally as important is not to be "on every site, every day, telling people how great you are at everything you do." Selling with social media is not done with a bullhorn, but with straightforward, targeted messaging and engagement, as humorously illustrated by The Oatmeal.
Let us know how your company is doing in today’s social media world.
If you need some help, give us a call. We'll perform a complimentary social media scan, share the results and even offer suggestions on how you can improve your social media efforts.
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