There’s no question that social media should be a solid component of any business’s marketing strategy. Any business owner knows that their company needs to be active wherever their customers are. Most of the time, without question, those places include popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.
While most businesses and organizations now have social media profiles and are starting to engage, there seems to be a core mentality that’s left out in their day to day activity. What many companies lose track of is the fact that the purpose of social media is to interact with friends and and family, not to constantly shove products in peoples faces.
From a business’s standpoint, social media should be used to connect with current and potential customers by posting engaging content, sharing, and communicating. Put yourself in shoes of your customers. How would you feel if you “liked” a company’s page and now all you see is your news feed stuffed with sales pitches day after day? There’s a good chance you might feel invaded and become “turned off” by that brand.
When a customer “likes” your page on Facebook, or follows you on Twitter, they are essentially letting you into their world because they care about your company and what you have to say. It’s not a free pass to market to them as much as you can. A “like” or a “follow” should be treated as a privilege.
Instead of constantly selling, The goal of good social media strategy should be to engage your customers and build relationships. Comment on their photos, post interesting content, respond to their posts. When you have real relationships with your customers or clients, you’ll find that the sales will come naturally. People buy from people they know, like and trust. This will help you build a strong brand following and that’s what social media for businesses is all about.
So instead of constantly shoving product in your customers’ faces, take the time to dig in and interact with them. Although it’s hard quantify your return on investment, keep in mind how important fellowship with your customers is. That’s what social media is all about.
Read more: Social Media Profiles – Company or Personal?