Social media is the most popular Internet platform. Twitter has over 500 million active users, and Facebook has over 900 million. Businesses are able to tap into this growing market to reach out to new customers and strengthen their relationships with existing customers. The variety of ways that businesses can utilize these platforms are nearly endless, and businesses can develop their own techniques. Here our some techniques to help businesses better utilize social media.
Start and maintain a Facebook page
Businesses can increase their social media presence by creating a Facebook page. By asking customers to check it out, businesses can gain “likes” that increase their visibility. Just running the page, however, is not enough to take full advantage of Facebook. Updating the page on a regular basis helps keep customers engaged and thinking about the business. Businesses should be careful to ensure that they are not posting too frequently; posting too often is considered obnoxious as business social media is not the same as personal social media.
Tweet business activities
Twitter allows businesses to run their own accounts. By using searches to find users who are Tweeting about products related to their business, businesses can reach out to users who already have an interest in what the business has to offer. Tweeting about the day-to-day activities of the business and news related to its field demonstrates to users that the the business is actively engaged in their field of work.
Interact with users
Social media allows businesses to interact on a personal level with their users. Too many businesses set up their sites and hope that visitors will follow. Encouraging users to ask questions and answering them helps form bonds that encourage visitors to check out the page more often. Because activities on social media are visible to the public, others will see these interactions and will view the business as one that seeks to help others who have questions. Social media is dynamic, and businesses should strive to take advantage of that fact.
Run promotions
Social media platforms give businesses a way to run interactive promotions. Rewarding users for liking a page on Facebook or mentioning the business on Twitter can boost a company’s visibility. For more adventurous businesses, Facebook games have a chance to become popular and spread across the network. Further, users are likely to share online coupons and other deals with their friends. Whether you are promoting your restaurant or dvd duplication services the efforts in marketing should remain the same.
Promote worthy causes
Social justice, environmentalism and other worthy causes are popular on social media sites. While businesses may want to stay away from controversial subjects, there are plenty of good causes that attract little controversy. Supporting recycling and cleaning efforts can increase a company’s image in the eyes of many, and posts proclaiming support or donations are likely to be re-Tweeting on Twitter or shared with others on Facebook.
Be creative
Businesses with talented staff should use these skills to fill their social media pages with entertaining information. Artists can create beautiful work that relates to the company’s field. Those who speak well in front of a camera can create videos to post on YouTube and share on Facebook and Twitter. New content drives social media pages and encourages customers and potential customers to check in often.