Don’t be afraid of Social Media

Many businesses see social media as a set of problems rather than a set of opportunities. For those who have never used it, or never used it successfully, it seems like an incredible pain in the neck with promised results that never seem to materialise.

But social media isn’t something to fear. What they say about the internet being social is completely true and it’s something you need to get on-board with for your business as soon as possible.

 

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Social Media

Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid of social media.

1. Everybody’s Using It

Long gone are the days when you could say that your customers weren’t heavy social media users. With so many social media sites out there and the growing popularity of these sites, it’s absolutely certain that your people are there. It’s very easy to find them.

2. Social Media Is Easy

Social media is daunting only until you start learning it. For those who aren’t into it, it seems difficult but it’s actually quite simple. Your profile is like your mini-website on the platform. Once you’ve set up your profile, you can connect to your audience and then interact directly with them.

3. A Marketing Goldmine

Social media also offers a treasure trove of information about the people who use your goods and services. Even if you aren’t active on a particular site, you can still find out a great deal about your market and audience. Not only can you access profile information to learn about their likes and dislikes, but you also get to see them share content and hold discussions in real time.

4. Direct Feedback

The nature of social media is that it’s a two-way communication channel. Your customers can contact you directly through the site and give you valuable feedback on what you offer. This opportunity for communication personalises your business, which is extremely important on the potentially impersonal internet. You get a chance to show that there’s a human being(s) behind the company.

5. An Asset to Your Sales Funnel

Since everyone uses social media, it’s a great part of a company’s sales funnel. You can use it to promote your business and draw new prospects into your sales funnel. One great way to do this is to use social media to build your email list, an even more personalised and effective way to sell online.

The important thing to remember that it is social and not a form of direct advertising. If you can stop being afraid of social media and start having some fun with it, you might even enjoy it. Done the right way, it will really benefit your business.

 

The Challenge of Finding Your Customers

The first step is to find your customers (and potential customers), but how do you do that? Here are some tips on how to find your email list prospects.

Tip 1.  Ask Your Current Customers

Start by simply asking your current customers which social media platforms they use. You can ask them face-to-face when you interact with them at your store or elsewhere, or give them a survey to fill out at point-of-sale. You can also send an email to your existing subscribers asking them. Offer a small incentive like a discount or a free download for taking a minute to fill out your survey.

Tip 2.  Add Social Links in Emails

Add to the email messages you send your customers social media links. These links invite your subscribers to like your page on Facebook, connect with you on Twitter, and so on. You may want to create a special email message just to draw attention to your social media presence or offer an incentive for connecting with you. This method requires that you have an account already with the major social media networks.

Tip 3.  Search in Social Media

Most social media sites have search functions that allow you to search using keywords. You can choose keywords that are related to your business, such as hobbies or interests your customers have. This gives you an idea of how much of your target market uses a particular site.

Tip 4.  Watch Your Competitors

You can also check out your competitors and see what social media sites they use. If you have a competitor with a well-established social media presence already, they probably have a good reason for maintaining it. You can use the above tip also to search within social networks for your competitors’ names.

Tip 5.  Match Subscribers

This is a bit more laborious, but you can take your list of subscribers and search to see if they have social media accounts. Although their accounts may be private, you’ll find them if they have public accounts. You can also search for them using their names or email addresses within social media sites.

All of this takes a bit of research but it can really pay off. You’ll discover which social media sites your customers and prospects use, and you may find a site they like that you didn’t even know about.

There’s no business alive today that can or should try to survive without social media. Your presence on these sites is an extremely valuable asset to your business that offers a number of benefits. So, stop being afraid of social media and try giving it a go. You might be very pleased that you took the plunge!

 

Takeaway Tip:

It is important to remember that social media is social and not a form of direct advertising or broadcasting!

It is important to remember that social media is social and not a form of direct advertising or broadcasting! Click To Tweet

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