A successful social media strategy
doesn’t have to include numerous
different platforms. That’s hardly manageable and would take considerable time, energy and skill or a lot of
money to invest in outsourcing it all to
someone else. The key is to keep it
simple, try one of two and work from
there, focusing on where your customers are and what you can do for them.
“Businesses who come to me are businesses who realize the importance of
customer service and understand that
social media is another step in their
customer service,” says Grigg.
What makes social media unique is
that it’s not just about advertising, creating buzz and branding; it represents
the possibility of a new, interactive
and customer service oriented form of
marketing that creates a community
around your product or service and
engages your customers in a conversation. Linking a Facebook business
page to your website opens up the
opportunity to build engaging relationships with new and existing customers
where you can not only keep them
updated about products, services,
events, and promotions, but also
respond to their questions or comments
directly. The key to successful social
media is to get your audience talking
back, asking questions about products
or services or offering suggestions.
“There’s more to social media than just
putting up a post and leaving it. You
have to find your target audience and
talk to them because social media is a
two-way conversation,” says Grigg.
Social media is particularly important for small businesses that are looking to find their target market, establish
credibility, build a solid customer base
and offer outstanding customer service. The success of any social media
strategy depends largely on goals
and a true understanding of what the
possibilities and limitations are. Social
media does not offer a quick fix and
chances are you won’t see a dramatic
and immediate increase in sales, but
if your goals are to drive traffic to your
website, establish your expertise and
learn about your customers, then a
social networking site such as Facebook can be a great benefit to your
business. “If people come and say that
they’ve seen you on Facebook then
you know it’s working,” says Grigg.
Karen Fuller, an eldercare coach
who runs Care Full Heart Coaching,
says that her Facebook page has
been instrumental in referring people
to her website, which she can measure using Google Analytics. She had
initially been resistant to social media
because she thought it was only for
younger people but was surprised to
learn just how many of her target c lients were using Facebook.
“My target market is 45-64 and
almost half of my readership that visits
my business page is within that age
group,” she says. Over the last six
months, there’s been more and more
involvement on her Facebook page,
and she says that for her, the success
has been incredible. “I think it’s about
the trust, people getting to know you
because they are seeing tips and hints
and articles on my Facebook page
and then they are moving to my website where they can get updates as to
what is going on in the business and
reading my blog, which again gives
them more information and getting to
know the services I can provide them,”
says Fuller.
The success of any social media
strategy will always depend on how
much time, knowledge or financial
resources you have. While the great
thing about social media is that it’s
free to use, there’s a learning curve
and it takes knowledge, time, and a
consistent effort. “Nothing’s worse than
if you just have it up there and you
think you know how to use it and you
don’t, and then you get stressed out
and it bothers you and then you think
it didn’t work,” says Grigg.
VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 2 | yourBusiness Online 27