Using social media for business marketing

For many businesspeople, social media is a source of consternation. They hear that they should use tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to expand their reach, yet they remain unsure. Common questions include:

• Does the concept make sense for our industry or clientele?
• Do we have the time or budget to wield the tools effectively?
• Will we get a reasonable return on investment (of both time and money)?

We understand this ambivalence. There are enough examples of one-post blogs, neglected Facebook pages and badly executed videos to give anyone pause. That said, if you want your website to be more than just a credibility-builder -- which, by the way, is a perfectly legitimate use of a website -- there are benefits to adding social media to your marketing strategy. One of the biggest benefits is the positive effect it can have on your website’s position in search engine results. Used well, social media enables your content to be shared across the Internet, enhancing your stature on the web. The key is to determine which tools make the most sense for you.

Blogs

Blogging was the first social media tool to be adopted by businesses. Blogs remain popular today because they are perceived to be one of the more substantive options. Blogs are excellent tools for businesses that have:

• employees willing to share their knowledge
• a broad topic or multiple topics to write about so that redundancy won’t become a problem
• subject matter experts who are good writers or editors who work with them
• multiple people to share responsibility for posting
• an understanding that blogs are informational rather than promotional

Facebook page

Facebook now boasts more than 500 million users. As a result, many businesses have created Facebook pages and connected with people who “like” them (formerly known as fans). Our belief is that Facebook is a more effective tool for B2C organizations than B2B companies. Because your posts will be viewed in the context of personal updates, the medium can feel too informal for B2B communications. For those businesses that feel it is a good fit, Facebook pages offer the opportunity to:

• generate interest in products or services through special promotions offered to customers who “like” them
• show a lighter, more personal side of the business
• engage customers in dialogue and/or address customer service issues

YouTube channel / Videos

Videos can be a good addition to a company’s marketing strategy because they enable the illustration of complex ideas or processes. Videos can be posted on your own website, on a company YouTube channel, or both. Video works best when:

• it is short (five minutes or less per video)
• it is well-produced
• it has been scripted and edited
• it uses someone who is comfortable in front of the camera
• it includes charts, diagrams, illustrations, etc. to reinforce the message

There are other tools as well, including Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare. Regardless of which tool(s) you decide to use, the most important thing to keep in mind is that they all need to be used regularly. If you can commit to that and choose tools that fit your organization’s culture and marketing strategy, social media can be a powerful complement to your other marketing efforts.

Contact us if you’d like to discuss how social media might work for your organization.

Past Issues

Fourth Quarter, 2010

Third Quarter, 2010

Used well, social media enables your content to be shared across the Internet, enhancing your stature on the web. The key is to determine which tools make the most sense for you.