Social Media- The New Cost of Doing Business
As a social media strategist, I’m often asked “Why do I need social media for my business?”
Aside from all of the benefits of being active in social media, it has come down to the fact that people expect you to be there.
Like your phone number, your email address and website, people expect your business to be active on social media.
People like options in contacting you.
Whether it be on Facebook, Twitter or another popular website they want to contact you where and how it is convenient for them.
Let’s face it, a phone call isn’t convenient. Emails can be ignored, forms on websites aren’t always answered. People expect to be ignored, not because of your behavior, but because of a number of companies before you.
Consumers Like The Public Option Of Social Media Contact
It gives consumers power. When a company isn’t treating them right, they have action to take, and they are far less likely to be ignored when their message is open for all to see on your Facebook or Twitter account.
What Are You Missing When You Aren’t Active On Social Media?
Being social isn’t just about broadcasting your sales and amassing huge followings. It really is about relationships.
Do you take your relationship with customers seriously? If so, social is the one place to show that. It’s easy to use social media to show how important your customers are. You can quickly build a name for your brand by showing how quickly you respond to the needs of your clients on social media.
If you aren’t already social, chances are you’ve already missed out on customer service opportunities with your fans. They’ve either been annoyed or given up their issues.
Then they turn to competitors who are social, just as if they were hanging up on your voicemail and calling the next number in the phonebook, years ago.
Our Society Does Not Wait
Along with the need to be social, we need to respond quickly and often. Our society does not like to wait. With the invention of the internet we get the information we want NOW. We get products delivered the next day by Amazon droids, and we move on to the next provider when a company under-performs.
Social media is part of performing to expectations now, and your company along with your competitors needs to be there and be active. It isn’t a choice, it’s a cost of doing business.
What You Need To Do
Get social, or get help becoming social. Contact me to discuss how your company can effectively become social while keeping it affordable.
Hi Mary,
Great post! You are so right. Society does not wait and is very impulsive. With that said, the word “social” means what it means. It doesn’t mean create a page on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, etc., and then just post your stuff, products, or sales.
Just like in networking, people will run and run fast. No likes to be sold, but they love to buy, right?
The problem is people think social media is hard. It’s not. It can be a little time consuming, but so is any tool or means when you are trying to build a relationship with your company, yourself, and your prospects and customers.
Social is social, it’s a give a take, a conversation, and way to solve people’s problems. That can and will translate into sales but only when people believe you’re in it for them and not yourself.
Thanks for a great article Mary,
Don
I completely agree with you, Don. I’m reading your newest post on Linkedin right now and it lines up perfectly with some reading I did this weekend. Think of the solutions you provide.
Mary