Image by: Olga Berrios
By Mike Ventura
Getting social isn’t a science.
Putting your business on the web is as easy as logging on and signing up, but what can be challenging is figuring out how each social medium will benefit your company.
Every site or app offers different ways to communicate with specified audiences. Is your business more visual or would a written advertisement work better at featuring your products and services?
Once you determine the kind of business you have and the clients or customers you’re after, you can pick and choose from this helpful list below. We warn you, once you go social, you never go back.
#1) Featured on Facebook
For most, Facebook is the way to connect and communicate to target audiences because it is one of the most visual, popular and interactive types of social networks available on the web today. Facebook was built to serve individuals, mostly college aged, but over the last 10 years, the company has embraced businesses, start-ups and corporations by creating public pages for users to visit.
Now businesses of all kinds can set up a company page, generate “Likes” and “Followers” and sell their products and services by linking directly to their company webpage. Think of Facebook as the telephone line. Its function is to connect people anywhere in the world to you then, you do the rest.
Using the company page is easy. The setup is free and can be monitored and changed right from a desktop, laptop or tablet on the main Facebook site. Facebook allows companies to invest in ads, and gives marketing strategies for those interested in developing their reach. For more information about setting up a business page, head to https://www.facebook.com/business/learn.
According to Facebook, “More than a billion people use Facebook to connect with friends, family and things that matter to them.” This means your company has the potential to reach people on a worldwide scale.
#2) Tweeting 140 Characters or Less
Twitter is all about keeping your message short and meaningful.
This social site is different from Facebook because it’s less about organized content, and more about how many people the messages sent are reaching. Twitter helps connect local businesses, local patrons and helps connect people to other social media presence a business may have.
Twitter only allows up to 140 characters. The character count includes all letters, symbols and spacing in the tweet.
One of the benefits of this social network is that everything happens in real-time. Tweets are created and generated instantly and fed out to a larger timeline users have for all the people and businesses they are “Following”.
Twitter is also more mobile friendly than almost any other kind of social media. Because of it’s short bursts of information, it is more likely to keep people engaged from anywhere they have their mobile phone. If your company website is mobile friendly (which it should be) then connecting your clients or customers from twitter to your website is seamless.
Twitter says, “With over 284 million monthly active users and 500 million Tweets sent every day, Twitter offers your business an opportunity to reach potential customers interested in what you have to offer.”
Twitter allows a business to see what their target audience is saying about almost everything. By taking the pulse of what followers are saying, a business can better tailor their marketing, their services and their overall mission to the needs and wants of the community they may be serving.
#3) Instagram Your Moments
Instagram is about capturing the moment visually.
This mobile-based social medium is designed specifically for smartphone users and their lives on the go. Instagram does have a computer-based application, but it is not interactive and instead serves mainly as an online photo album.
Instagram is great for a behind-the-scenes look at how a company operates. It’s great for designers and companies that have many products to sell. It’s a forum for photos, showing off items and placing them in a product placement type of environment.
The app is easy to use and can connect to many other types of social media. The company is a division of Facebook and is very compatible with the social network. Users can take a picture, post it to Instagram and then share it to their Facebook page, Tumblr blog or as a link in a Twitter tweet.
Instagram also provides companies the ability to engage through the captions. While an Instagram bio is only 150 characters, each photo has a caption feature and users have an unlimited amount of characters to talk about the photo featured at that moment. The app also allows people to post indefinitely, meaning there are no limits to the amount of photos a company can upload and share.
Post links, connect the page to an already existing webpage, or use the site to advertise. While this social site has its limitations, it is extremely user-friendly and generates content for businesses around the globe.
#4) LinkedIn Connections Matter
Think of LinkedIn as an online resume. For most, this social tool is designed to connect people with businesses that may be hiring. It’s digital networking for the online world.
This site connects people to others in their business, in their company and in their own community by using a common job element. For example, those in marketing will be connected to other marketing firms, the people who work for those firms and colleagues within the same company.
LinkedIn is also a major resource for businesses looking for the right team members. It’s an excellent way to recruit and connect directly with users. Searching the site is easy and connecting with someone is as simple and pressing a “Request” button on the page. Instantly businesses are connected with qualified candidates with references listed right there on the page.
Businesses with developed pages are also able to blog on the site. Here a business can share online newsletters, testimonials or even links and other ways to connect to the company digitally.
No, getting social isn’t a science, but there is a smart way to get connected. By tailoring your online presence and developing and maintaining each page every day, a business can reach more people than advertisements alone. Connecting to the online world is about survival, and a company that understands each platform is bound to find success.
Tell us how your company uses Social Media. How does your business maintain each site and the connections on each? Have your tried contests or giveaways that have worked? Share your experiences in the comment section below.