Will the growing popularity of social media networks replace the need for a website? We don’t think so. An effective marketing strategy integrates your website with a variety of media approaches, social media networks being an important piece of this puzzle. The benefits of having a company website are endless, and websites are a marketing tool that social media sites simply cannot match. The real time attribute of social media marketing occurs when a social media profile is viewed as a tool to enhance a website.
Updating your company’s web page and your social media profiles at the same time, can produce links with indefinite visibility, which in return has the potential to increase overall traffic and conversion to your site. Social media sites can also enhance the visual appeal and overall feel of your website by providing a more interactive experience for visitors. By incorporating social media features, such as YouTube videos or blogs, into your website, you can create your own brand focused community that allows for user generated content.
Think of social networks as a friendly gateway to your company website or microsite. Seeding your site with social networks spreads content far and wide through search engines, as well as through contacts who are already a part of your social networking communities – places where rapport has already been established. People tend to share their experiences, good or bad, with their social networking communities – people they have built a connection with. So find out where your audience’s conversations are taking place and establish a strong presence. When social media sites are operated effectively they have the power to steer your audience to your website, resonate with your visitors, humanize your brand and deliver content to the masses in the click of a mouse.
Social media sites function to grab your visitor’s attention and leave them wanting to come to your site to learn more; so, make your messages intriguing, your profile informative and the look of your social media site attractive. Every photo you put up on Facebook, every message mashed into 140 words on Twitter and every story-telling video posted on YouTube reflects your company’s image and message, and may just be the “link” that drives the next big business deal to your website.
Here are a few important tips to remember before leaping into your social media campaign
Have a Plan. How can social media help you attract, engage, convert and retain profitable customers and prospects? Set your organization’s objectives and goals. These objectives will tell you what you should be measuring through web analytics. Your plan will also dictate which social media platforms will work best.
Listen. Customers are buzzing about the kind of products and services your firm offers on social networking sites, so why not tune in? Find out where your target audience lives online and follow their discussions, tweets and posts to find competitive information, leads and new ideas for improvement or innovation.
Engage. After listening, you are ready to actively engage in online discussions. This is a unique opportunity toto win new customers, secure a firmer position with existing customers, and create a broader, more loyal following. You will find that the level of engagement with customers and clients is totally different and much more conversational on Facebook or LinkedIn as opposed to your company website. Mon¬i¬tor¬ing these online con¬ver¬sa¬tions and respond¬ing to feed¬back (both the positive and negative) is an extremely impor¬tant aspect of social media.
Be Transparent. By allowing information to be more readily available to your community, you are able to gain more trust and confidence. Being open and honest will lead to online credibility, a healthy dialogue of information sharing and actionable feedback. Being honest also means claiming your own work. Don’t get caught up in trying to be too sneaky with positive posts from supposedly impartial authors.
Set Limits. Don’t expect to just turn your employees loose on social media. Identity which employees will be participating in social networking, and then establish policies and guidelines so that everyone understands what can and cannot be shared on social networks, as well as how to handle certain situations that may arise.
Personalize your brand. People want to hire other people, not businesses. It can be advantageous for brands to cultivate a uniquely individual online presence through social media. Don’t simply advertise your brand. Have a conversation; put a face and a personality out there.
Measure. Just like any marketing medium, social media should be measured against clear marketing objectives and as part of an integrated campaign. Web traffic, qualified leads and customer retention are among the key performance metrics used by B2B marketers.
