Why Use Social Media?

When I talk with business owners in my area, the main question I get is "Why should I use social media?"  Most businesses use Facebook, but they don't know why they should use it or why they should use more than just Facebook.  The answer is simple:  social media is the new word of mouth, and you need to be involved in the conversation.  Facebook and other social media sites are a perfect place to host a forum where customers can talk about your business.  People are going to be talking about your business online whether or not you are involved in social media.  I have seen many companies that do not even have a Facebook page, but customers are leaving comments on sites like Yelp, where anybody can add a business.

http://wildpitchmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/word-of-mouth-marketing.jpg

 

There are some things that you should absolutely do, and other things you should not do when using social media to be involved in the conversation.  Here is a brief list of do's and dont's.

Do:

-Answer any questions posted by your followers.

-Update your page on a regular basis.

-Link your social media sites together to maximize visibility.

-Put a "Like" button on your main website.

-Delete any spam posts that are on your page.



Dont:

-Update your Facebook page sporadically (three or more posts at one time every month or so).

-Ignore questions posted on your page.

-Delete negative comments. (You should respond to the comment publicly to show that you care)

-Create a page and never update it. (You might as well delete your page)