Brent Pohlman
I am noticing fewer and fewer people talk about the benefits of social media. I think people are coming to the realization that social media has changed the game. It was a huge wake-up call to companies. It is time to learn from our experiences with social media and take it to another level.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Companies must be closer to clients – Today, companies must be closer in tune with their clients. Everyone is being watched. People need to act with caution when it comes to posting information on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and others.
People like social media interfaces – Companies need to clean up their websites and make them more conducive to the times. Content is good in the short term, but aesthetics, (look and feel) might be more important going forward. Mobile devices are the new desktops!
Companies need to incorporate more media – Pictures tell a story. Video really tells a story. Are you ready for live-streaming? How well do you tell your story?
It is about engagement – I am not talking about engaging on social media. No one has that much time and I have not seen enough results to consider spending a whole day on Twitter or Linkedin. However, engagement needs to occur on your website. People need to know where to go to answer their questions. I am working to make our company site less confusing. Also, client service is the difference-maker. People connect with people. When you know you can talk to a person, (with a name) you feel like you really have a connection with that company.
People are spending more time on social media – People are spending more and more of their time on the internet and social media sites. The key is to deliver information which gets them to your site. This can be done and it is where I spend my time. Getting people to move from their favorite social media site to your site is the key.
Most people I talk to do not want to make this effort. They have given up and have moved over to social media and abandoned their website because they feel there is more of an audience on a particular social media site. My question to them is, do you want to be in control of the process or rely on an outside social media property to manage your process.
Know who your clients are not where to find them – I struggled with social media to find my business audience. I spent countless hours trying to find the best clients. This is not the direction you should take. Find one or two strong clients or connections and build from there. Use hashtags and specific Linkedin Groups to target your message. If you have great content, people will find you.
WHERE TO GO AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA
Focus on your website – Build out a better experience. You need to capture client’s names, email addresses and ultimately bring them on as a client. Start redesigning your site so people can find you more easily. Find ways to collect information. Build solid landing pages. Follow-up with leads
Be familiar with social media but don’t overdo it – Keep your name fresh out there by posting something everyday, but stay away from spending hour and hours on social media.
Get your top management engaged – Top management needs to set the tone for your message. Don’t give your company information to someone right out of college. Be a leader. We need more strong company voices and less fluff information.
Hire the best client service team – You will need it because people will want to know more.
Work on good content – Answer client questions. Present information that they are not going to see anywhere else. Give people a reason to read your information.
Continue to connect with great people – You have tools to connect with CEO’s, Presidents, Young/Innovative College Students. Be a recruiter and connect with these people or consider bringing them into your company.
Incorporate more media into your marketing message – It is time to bring in some more media to get points across to a wider audience.
EXCITING TIMES
These are exciting times for companies. Much change is needed to keep up. Get in tune and start making a difference today.
photo credit: Social Media via photopin (license)
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