- Original Poster
- #1
It can be incredibly easy to waste your time and money on social networking and the effectiveness of social media for business always promotes debate here on UKBF. Inspired by these debates and some of the ideas raised in the forums, Dan Martin examines ways entrepreneurs can ensure their social media efforts bring the maximum benefits.
This article is the fourth in a series of content focusing on internet marketing and ecommerce, brought to you in association with .co.uk, the number one domain for British business.
8) Be strategic
Twitter, Google+ Facebook, Pinterest - the list goes on. You could spend considerable time just signing up for each platform and aligning your branding. Your reason for joining a network shouldn’t be “because everyone else is” as UKBF member ‘Fire’ explains:
"Choose social media channels that align with the usage characteristics of your customers,” Fire adds. “Consider the demographic of your customer (typical gender, age range etc) and how they will likely engage with your business. Use these informed assumptions to focus your efforts through the most appropriate social media channel."
7) “Content is king”
A phrase that you will see posted across a thousand marketing blogs - but what does it actually mean to small business owners looking to make the most out of social media?
Well, If you want to maximise the returns from social media, you need to post content that stands out from the constant stream of news stories, stock PR releases and ‘funny’ cat videos.
There’s no point talking about yourself and your company all the time; you need to offer something useful, something outstanding, or ideally something outstandingly useful. Content that is so good that your customers will want to share it themselves.
"For example on my social media spaces I talk about charity PR, PR campaigns, marketing and design that I think are interesting/quirky/best practice, charity issues, funding issues, development, economic and social issues." UKBF member 'fruch' adds: "Remember that it's social networking. Constantly shouting at everyone to buy your products and not interacting goes down as well as it would at a dinner party."
6) Be easy to find (really easy)
If you want to engage your customers in as many places as possible you need to make it easier for them to find you, so ensure you promote your social media profiles wherever you can; on your website, in your email signature, UKBF signature, on your website, your business cards, your UKBF directory listing, word of mouth, everywhere.
5) Is your business listed on Google+?
It’s one of the newer social platforms but experts suggest that Google+ is growing in importance. With Google dominating the internet search market, there are indications that if businesses want to appear as high up in search results as possible, they need to have a presence on Google+. Although the uptake of Google+ hasn’t been as explosive as other networks, to ignore Google would be a mistake and adding details to you page and ensuring you are listed as a business is a great start.
One key benefit of using the site is the ability to claim authorship of your content. This means it will add a link to your Google+ page to all content you write, which stands out in search results (with a little mugshot if you’re lucky!)
If you use Google Adwords to promote your products and services, it is possible to link them to Google+. "You can now set Google+ annotations and reviews on your text ads which will attract potential customers to click your ad instead of your competitors," advises UKBF member Uzair Kharawala.
Google+ also recently added the ability to create a custom URL making it easier for customers to find your page. Whereas before your profile was defined by a long list of numbers and letters you can now have a much more memorable profile URL e.g https://www.google.com/+ukbusinessforumscouk
4) Social leads make sales!
While the hard sell is unlikely to lead to many results, don’t completely dismiss using social media to sell; after all your business needs to make money!
IanG says: "I have a vehicle dismantling business and although I'm not all over social media like some of the larger brands, I do take the time to photograph things going on in the workshop, new parts, rare parts etc. which builds a bit of conversation. I’ve got a few things like stock and price lists in the notes, which help as a reference to point people to. It's not my sole source of sales but it can create some leads."
It's also worth going niche.
While sites like Twitter and Facebook appeal to the mass market, there are many forums and platforms focusing on specific sectors and industries. "I've seen massive success harnessing the raw power of the likes of Reddit, YouTube and niche-related forums," says 'GodOfSEO'.
"I know one marketer who spent five hours a month posting across four related forums with his shop in his signature and managed to make over $10,000 in profit from the referral traffic."
3) An opportunity for excellent customer service
Social media can be an amazing way to deal with customer service. If used properly, your shining example of how to treat a customer can act as a great bit of PR. The customer wins, and you win. While some customers may tweet or post directly at you, others may just mention your brand without tagging your social media accounts so it’s vital that you monitor conversation. You can invest in paid-for tracking services but it’s easy to do it for free. Set up a stream in a social media management service like HootSuite or TweetDeck which shows all tweets mentioning your brand or other related keywords.
2) Paid advertising
Most social networks now offer the ability to pay to advertise.
Twitter, for instance, allows you to create promoted tweets which appear in the feeds of users when they post particular phrases and keywords. You can also target your message to individuals in particular locations across the UK and the world. Similarly,Facebook allows business owners to pay to promote particular posts and target users with a specific offer or discount. You can also use paid solutions to build likes and followers.
But is social media advertising worth the cost?
The key to making it a success is carefully tracking your results. Start with a small budget and monitor which content and messaging works best. You can then adapt it accordingly. You also need to work out how much a customer is worth to you. How much are you willing to spend to get a lead?
1) Integration, integration, integration
While it's vital that you have a presence on social media, that doesn’t mean you should stop focusing on your own website.
"It should never be either-or; you need an integrated approach to marketing and handling your presence on the internet," says 'OldWelshGuy'. "You need to have some stuff purely on your website, and some stuff purely on your social presence, then you can encourage cross pollination between the platforms you use."
AlexandraS says: "A business run solely from Facebook always smacks of amateur to me. Plus of course should you choose to limit your "website" to Facebook then you are totally at their mercy should they choose to issue you a smack-down!"
So, lets continue the conversation:
Which social network works best for your business, and why?
Have you tried using paid promotions?
Can platforms they work together as a joint strategy?
How has social media helped your SEO strategy?
This article is the fourth in a series of content focusing on internet marketing and ecommerce, brought to you in association with .co.uk, the number one domain for British business.
8) Be strategic
Twitter, Google+ Facebook, Pinterest - the list goes on. You could spend considerable time just signing up for each platform and aligning your branding. Your reason for joining a network shouldn’t be “because everyone else is” as UKBF member ‘Fire’ explains:
- Why are you engaging with social media? The answer should most definitely not be "because you think you should" or "because everyone else is". Is it to raise your profile and increase brand awareness? For customer service purposes? Or another reason?
- How will you use social media to achieve these objectives and how will your social media engagement support the delivery of your overall business ambitions?
"Choose social media channels that align with the usage characteristics of your customers,” Fire adds. “Consider the demographic of your customer (typical gender, age range etc) and how they will likely engage with your business. Use these informed assumptions to focus your efforts through the most appropriate social media channel."
7) “Content is king”
A phrase that you will see posted across a thousand marketing blogs - but what does it actually mean to small business owners looking to make the most out of social media?
Well, If you want to maximise the returns from social media, you need to post content that stands out from the constant stream of news stories, stock PR releases and ‘funny’ cat videos.
There’s no point talking about yourself and your company all the time; you need to offer something useful, something outstanding, or ideally something outstandingly useful. Content that is so good that your customers will want to share it themselves.
"For example on my social media spaces I talk about charity PR, PR campaigns, marketing and design that I think are interesting/quirky/best practice, charity issues, funding issues, development, economic and social issues." UKBF member 'fruch' adds: "Remember that it's social networking. Constantly shouting at everyone to buy your products and not interacting goes down as well as it would at a dinner party."
6) Be easy to find (really easy)
If you want to engage your customers in as many places as possible you need to make it easier for them to find you, so ensure you promote your social media profiles wherever you can; on your website, in your email signature, UKBF signature, on your website, your business cards, your UKBF directory listing, word of mouth, everywhere.
5) Is your business listed on Google+?
It’s one of the newer social platforms but experts suggest that Google+ is growing in importance. With Google dominating the internet search market, there are indications that if businesses want to appear as high up in search results as possible, they need to have a presence on Google+. Although the uptake of Google+ hasn’t been as explosive as other networks, to ignore Google would be a mistake and adding details to you page and ensuring you are listed as a business is a great start.
One key benefit of using the site is the ability to claim authorship of your content. This means it will add a link to your Google+ page to all content you write, which stands out in search results (with a little mugshot if you’re lucky!)
If you use Google Adwords to promote your products and services, it is possible to link them to Google+. "You can now set Google+ annotations and reviews on your text ads which will attract potential customers to click your ad instead of your competitors," advises UKBF member Uzair Kharawala.
Google+ also recently added the ability to create a custom URL making it easier for customers to find your page. Whereas before your profile was defined by a long list of numbers and letters you can now have a much more memorable profile URL e.g https://www.google.com/+ukbusinessforumscouk
4) Social leads make sales!
While the hard sell is unlikely to lead to many results, don’t completely dismiss using social media to sell; after all your business needs to make money!
IanG says: "I have a vehicle dismantling business and although I'm not all over social media like some of the larger brands, I do take the time to photograph things going on in the workshop, new parts, rare parts etc. which builds a bit of conversation. I’ve got a few things like stock and price lists in the notes, which help as a reference to point people to. It's not my sole source of sales but it can create some leads."
It's also worth going niche.
While sites like Twitter and Facebook appeal to the mass market, there are many forums and platforms focusing on specific sectors and industries. "I've seen massive success harnessing the raw power of the likes of Reddit, YouTube and niche-related forums," says 'GodOfSEO'.
"I know one marketer who spent five hours a month posting across four related forums with his shop in his signature and managed to make over $10,000 in profit from the referral traffic."
3) An opportunity for excellent customer service
Social media can be an amazing way to deal with customer service. If used properly, your shining example of how to treat a customer can act as a great bit of PR. The customer wins, and you win. While some customers may tweet or post directly at you, others may just mention your brand without tagging your social media accounts so it’s vital that you monitor conversation. You can invest in paid-for tracking services but it’s easy to do it for free. Set up a stream in a social media management service like HootSuite or TweetDeck which shows all tweets mentioning your brand or other related keywords.
2) Paid advertising
Most social networks now offer the ability to pay to advertise.
Twitter, for instance, allows you to create promoted tweets which appear in the feeds of users when they post particular phrases and keywords. You can also target your message to individuals in particular locations across the UK and the world. Similarly,Facebook allows business owners to pay to promote particular posts and target users with a specific offer or discount. You can also use paid solutions to build likes and followers.
But is social media advertising worth the cost?
The key to making it a success is carefully tracking your results. Start with a small budget and monitor which content and messaging works best. You can then adapt it accordingly. You also need to work out how much a customer is worth to you. How much are you willing to spend to get a lead?
1) Integration, integration, integration
While it's vital that you have a presence on social media, that doesn’t mean you should stop focusing on your own website.
"It should never be either-or; you need an integrated approach to marketing and handling your presence on the internet," says 'OldWelshGuy'. "You need to have some stuff purely on your website, and some stuff purely on your social presence, then you can encourage cross pollination between the platforms you use."
AlexandraS says: "A business run solely from Facebook always smacks of amateur to me. Plus of course should you choose to limit your "website" to Facebook then you are totally at their mercy should they choose to issue you a smack-down!"
So, lets continue the conversation:
Which social network works best for your business, and why?
Have you tried using paid promotions?
Can platforms they work together as a joint strategy?
How has social media helped your SEO strategy?
