How to Use Social Networking for Business
To get started in using the various social networking sites to profit your business you will first need to do a few things. You will need to define your audience, potential customers, and then you will need to build a relationship with those people and promote your name / brand / products / website etc. In this article I will explain how your business can use social networking as a tool to increase sales, customer loyalty, and to promote your brand.
Before you jump head first into the social networking world, you will need to ask yourself if first of all: do I know what social networking is? Spend some time visiting each different social site and research all the various features and functions each one has. From there you can decide which route is the best to take for your business. Within your area of expertise, research the trends and figure out what is popular; and find out why. Perhaps there is something unique or something that has not been done yet that you could introduce into your social networking plan.
So you might be asking, how can I use social networking for profit? Well, here is what social marketing can do in regards to opportunities for profit: add a face and a name to your product (a human element), and socialize with potential customers informally online. It’s pretty fun once you understand how it works. It can increase traffic to your website, and it also creates trust and loyalty with your potential customers.
How do I know if it is working? Good question. One of the answers is you can judge if it is working by an increase of sales and website traffic. This is usually a good indicator. Or you can even get analytics software that will show you who exactly is looking at your social networking site. It can show you the demographics of the people who are viewing your profile.
Well now that you know how to use social networking for your business, and you have some sort of a social marketing plan laid out, you can finally start to build what is called your “profile”. Now your profile is basically information about your company, (location, store hours, frequently asked questions, and other things like that.) You can also upload a profile picture, which can also be your company’s logo, or a picture of the boss, etc. Everything on a social site can be customized to best suit your company’s needs.
Now, here are a few do’s and don’ts of social networking. When you begin you should make sure to not be a spammer. Doing so could result in you becoming banned from the website for good! Also, don’t try to give out your sales pitch, as that could make the folks that you have created a relationship with want to block or delete you off their friends list. Instead, try to engage your customers in conversation. Be open, friendly, and honest. People remember that sort of thing; they like to be spoken to like a normal human being, not like a customer. Don’t forget that once people start commenting on a post, you should join the conversation and give your own input. It’s a good plan to update often on social networking sites.
Well, I hope this article has given you a better understanding on how to use social networking for business. Don’t worry if you don’t see results right away. Social networking takes time, as you are actually building up relationships with your potential customers. Be patient, and you will see the results for yourself soon enough!
Wishing you the best,
Beth Balcum
