Social Media for Business

Just a few weeks ago at our “Purpose-based Marketing and Branding Workshop,” sponsored by Minert & Associates, Purpose Unlimited, myself and others, I presented a talk I give called “Social Media Marketing: A Practical Guide for Business.”

The first thing I told my audience was this: “My purpose today is not to tell you Social Media has become the Holy Grail of marketing, but to offer insight into how businesses can use Social Media as another tool in their marketing arsenal.” And at best, that’s what Social Media is – it’s another tool business owners can use to effectively build their brand.

Believe it or not, Social Media has become the #1 activity on the web. Are you involved? You should be!

In a recent article, I discovered that Wishpond, a maker of Social Media applications, found that 77% of Business-to-Consumer marketers acquired customers through Facebook. However, businesses like mine that are primarily B2B found more success on LinkedIn. In fact, according to the data compiled by Wishpond, LinkedIn was 277% more effective for B2B companies than Facebook or Twitter.**

Even though Social Media has been around for years, it’s still the “Shiny New Object” for many business owners. And for those who are on board, given the information I just shared, it’s quite possible, depending on the type of industry they’re in, they could be focused on the wrong platform.

So, in this weeks post, I want to share with you a few reasons why you should embrace Social Media if you aren’t already, as well as some things you need to understand before getting involved.

Five Reasons to Embrace Social Media:

1. Others are talking about your brand whether you like it or not. If you participate in the discussion, you can help shape the outcomes
2. “Word of Mouth” advertising is the #1 influencer of consumer purchases
3. A recent study suggests that among the top 100 brands, those using Social Media saw an 18% increase in revenues
4. Social Media creates brand awareness and recognition
5. Google and other Search Engine rankings improve

Other Things to Keep in Mind:

1. Focus on the right platforms for your business
2. Social Media is all about “Content,” but more importantly it’s about “Listening!”
3. Never engage in too much self-promotion. You must build the relationship before asking for the sale
4. Without reach, there is little R.O.I. with Social Media. In other words, Social Media works best when you have a large audience, and building a tribe of followers is a process!
5. It’s worth mentioning again: Social Media is about “Content.” Make sure the information you are sharing is interesting and relevant.

Until next time…

**Davis, Kathleen. “How to Use Social Media to Find Customers (Infographic).” Web log post. Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur Magazine, 09 July 2013. Web. 14 July 2013.