The problem with social media is that, well, it doesn’t tend to be very social much of the time. Individual use of sites such as Twitter and Facebook tend to be fairly social, but in many cases businesses tend to lose that personal touch.
Many businesses end up falling in to the trap of using their social media as simply another marketing or advertising platform, only utilising it to plug their brand and as a sales pitch. This is a waste of what can be a hugely valuable resource, so here are three quick tips to help make sure that your social media is working for your business in the right way.
1. Listen and respond
The dictionary definition of the word ‘social’ includes words such as ‘relationship’, ‘companionship’ and ‘friendly’. It doesn’t include words such as ‘monologue’, ‘lecture’ or ‘ignore’.
Sadly many people’s social media streams are little more than an endless series of self serving references that entirely ignore the people following them. Take time to read what other people are saying; about you, about your industry, about issues relating to it, or about anything else relevant, and then respond, showing that you’re listening and that you genuinely care.
2. Ask questions
Many businesses are afraid to ask open questions on social media, perhaps because they’d rather not have honest answers publicly on display. However, it’s a risk that has extremely valuable rewards.
Ask sincere questions, and you may find that as well as being considered bolder and more confident, your business also benefits from receiving answers that could help drive it in new directions.
3. Support others
We’ve seen other business owners bemoaning the fact that not enough people retweet them or share their posts. When asked how often they retweet others or share other people’s posts, the answer is invariably little more than a shrug and an admission to ‘not much’.
If you want to be promoted and shared, then actively promote and share other people’s links, tweets, posts and blogs. This helps present your business as one with an open mind and eyes, rather than one obsessed with its own navel – a guaranteed way to quash any potential interest, loyalty or enthusiasm.
