Welcome to our Social Media blog!  I want to first explain what Social Media is, without trying to teach anyone to suck eggs, and how best businesses should consider and use this communication tool.

Social Media is in its simplest form, people voicing their opinions, talking about their day and asking questions to this community online.  There are niche corners of the Internet allowing people to interact with others of a similar ilk or there is the more general free-for-all type forum that appeals to the masses.  The likes of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have achieved a tremendous following in a very short space of time, placing a lot of other Social Media sites in their shade, but there is still a lot to be gained by seeking out the social media acorns that have yet to grow and bear their own fruit.

Most businesses instinctively target identified groups online/offline in order to sell-in their product or service, but applying this tactic in the Social Media world can be a bit of a faux pas.  Using Social Media to promote your business in this way can have a negative affect on your brand as this online congregation are not there to actively purchase, they are there to chat, moan, research and have fun. This does not mean that businesses cannot use this, for want of a better word, phenomenon to their advantage but it has to be planned and managed correctly.

There are more effective sales channels out there but Social Media, though not the easiest audience, should not be ignored.  A UK study by e-Dialog shows that 11% of consumers receiving a promotion through social networks would prompt them to make a purchase, compared to 47% via email marketing, for example.  Facebook for one does allow advertisers to target specific demographics and particular interests specified in users profiles, which is an effective way of reaching your target audience rather than the splatter gun approach.

The relationship building this community opens up to businesses is currently near on impossible to measure with regards to investment but it is essential to devote time to speaking to this audience and listening to their feedback.  If you can dedicate a member of staff’s time to become the brands voice this will be the most effective way of “working the room”.  Most importantly communication should not include comments on competitors or impolite dialogue even if it is responding to aggressive or rude provocation.

All of this may sound daunting but follow this advice and your business will be able to communicate effectively in the social media arena.

Tags: Social Media

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 4:15 pm and is filed under Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.