GrowMap

Map Your Path To Grow Your Business

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • G.A.S.P
  • Press
  • Portfolio
  • GrowMap Services
  • PostsComments

Proper Ways Your Business Can Use Social Media Channels

August 5, 2010 By Kristi 23 Comments

This is a guest post by Steve Lazuka of Interact Media, a company that provides website content development services.

There’s always something new and different in the world of the Internet. Whether it’s the type of programming language your developers are using to create your online presence, or the explosion of social networking sites, you need to keep up with the latest and greatest if you hope to remain competitive in your niche market. If you fail to understand how to properly employ technology and networking tools, the damage to your business can be irreparable.

One of the latest online phenomenon is known as social media marketing. A number of website communities have developed applications that allow their members to communicate with each other as well as the outside world. In essence, these communities are creating social interactions in the digital space.

Some of the more popular networks allow their members to broadcast their messages out to the rest of the world through a variety of channels. With all of this communicating going on, the opportunities for businesses to use social networking to their advantage can be tantalizing.

Responsibility

With all this power to broadcast messages to the masses comes responsibility and potential liability should you not pay attention. One poorly thought out response to a customer or potential client can have ramifications that may be difficult or impossible to overcome.

Because of the potential for liability many companies, especially larger ones, have opted not to employ social networking. To their detriment, their fear prevents them from using these advanced communications channels to the benefit of their businesses.

With a few simple guidelines put in place, companies large and small can be successful within the social networks they choose to use. Communication is important both within your organization and from your people out to the networks you are hoping to create an increased level of presence.

Timely Responses

One of the most important factors you’ll want to keep in mind is the speed of response. Too often organizations will attempt to craft a calculated response. Their legal people weigh in on the situation and by the time they’ve responded to a situation too much time has elapsed. The beauty and power of the applications being developed for social networking today is that communications are nearly instantaneous.

If you don’t develop the ability to monitor the networks on a regular basis, you’re missing out on numerous opportunities to directly interact with your customers and potential clients. Many stories have been written and blog posts published where the authors have discussed how amazing it was to have a challenge with a company’s offerings and have one of its representative respond to their concerns. It’s this level of customer service will not only win you the person whose challenge you’re dealing but others in the network that are paying attention to the conversation.

Things to Avoid (If Possible)

It’s this focus on conversations that can have it’s challenges for your communications so you’ll want to be sure there are guidelines your representatives to follow. Unless your business deals directly with certain issues, you’ll likely want to limit the expression of personal attitudes, beliefs, etc. Political and religious discussions all have their place in our lives. When it comes to your business dealings, however, you may find that expressing support for a specific candidate or religion, or any other controversial topic could erect barriers between you and your customer network.

If you’re people simply focus on communicating your business message you’ll be fine. Demonstrating that you care for your customers and will be there when they have questions or concerns sooner rather than later will increase your credibility with them.

Ultimately, you’ll want to be on top of the communications as well as sharing the culture that makes your company great. If you’re real and express some restraint at the same time, social networking will pay dividends for your company time and again.

Business Conversation in Social Media

Do you use social media for communicating with your customers? What are your thoughts on best practices and things to avoid?

The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts

Kristi

Latest posts by Kristi (see all)

  • Using LinkedIn for Contact Management - June 14, 2011
  • Proper Ways Your Business Can Use Social Media Channels - August 5, 2010
  • Business Blogging – Benefits, Best Practices, and Blog Topics - July 28, 2010
Tweet
Share15
Share
Pin
Share
Share
Pocket
Flip
15 Shares
« SPAMMER ALERT: BuyTent.co.uk
WordPress WhiteList BlackList Plugin Wanted »

Filed Under: Small Business Advice, Social Media Networking SMM Tagged With: small business marketing, social media marketing

Comments

  1. Joana says

    October 14, 2010 at 5:19 am

    It’s true that social networking sites already are so popular. Well being updated really counts a lot!. Social networking is really useful in terms of promoting one’s sites.

    With internet you can connect to the people around the world without hassle and you can hear from their opinions that would be really useful. By the way thanks for the wonderful post.

    Reply
  2. Sam says

    September 21, 2010 at 2:51 am

    That’s right! If you want to stay in, you have to keep yourself updated. Of course things should be moderately and wisely to avoid harm to you and to your business.

    We are lucky we’ve read a bit of your thoughts on how social media being use in business.

    Reply
  3. Paloma Pena says

    September 9, 2010 at 3:00 pm

    Great blog post!
    I like the part about big businesses avoiding social media because they think it is a liability. I don’t think they fully understand how much they can benefit from it. Yes, negative comments are not good but, when you reply with a solution to a customer’s problem it shows that your business cares about their input. It will also help your business improve on that product or service.
    .-= Paloma Pena´s featured blog ..Build More Links using Blog Comments! =-.

    Reply
  4. ColeStan says

    September 4, 2010 at 12:23 pm

    I honestly believe that social media channels help businesses to grow. However, I find it very very irritating if these businesses will just spam you with lots of invitations or fan pages. Actually, yesterday I deleted someone in my network who constantly send advertisements for his different business ventures.
    .-= ColeStan@Gift Ideas´s featured blog ..Traditional Gifts for a 25thSilver Wedding Anniversary =-.

    Reply
  5. Lyan says

    August 26, 2010 at 4:35 pm

    The article is great! In the world of business, social media networking is important. It will allow you to communicate with other people all around the world. You can easily address their concerns and questions via internet.You need not to be there physically-less time and effort. But make sure as well that you’ll not misunderstand them. Your discourse analysis should work..=)

    Reply
  6. Tinh says

    August 14, 2010 at 9:10 pm

    I love #1 & #2 as it has happened to me in the past. Timely reponse is the key as we can not wait for long, many service providers answer quickly on twitter rather than its ticket system 🙂
    .-= Tinh´s featured blog ..Affiliate Links Cloaking Is Ethical to Your Readers =-.

    Reply
  7. Rachel says

    August 12, 2010 at 10:34 am

    I would agree with Kathy, but I feel like social networking does more positive things for reputation than negative. It is definitely a quick way to contact with clients, but also one of the fastest ways to reach out to potential clients.

    Reply
  8. Richard says

    August 11, 2010 at 11:05 pm

    Treating social media as a one-way communication channel is an approach that’s doomed to fail. Check in with your fans and followers by asking for feedback, responding to questions and comments, and being personable to build relationships with customers.
    .-= Richard@las vegas wedding packages´s featured blog ..Mon Bel Ami =-.

    Reply
  9. Kathy says

    August 11, 2010 at 8:55 am

    Steve,

    I like where you talk about responsibility. That is one of the things I find to be most challenging when dealing with real time communications. There have been countless (maybe not countless but definitely a lot of) times where I have said things as an instant response to a customer that I later regret. It is difficult to think things through properly when you are in a hurry for whatever reason while you are trying to keep up with all of this communication.

    It makes me think of this one Napoleon Hill quote that said something like “Reputation takes a lifetime to build but only moments to destroy”
    .-= Kathy´s featured blog ..The Real Money In Freelance Writing Comes From Promoting Your Own Niche Websites =-.

    Reply
  10. Paul says

    August 10, 2010 at 9:58 am

    Many organizations that use such marketing techniques are able to target individuals based upon specific interests. It is a low-cost promotional method that will easily give you large numbers of visitors. I recommend this strategy but don’t overdo it.

    Reply
  11. Gomez says

    August 9, 2010 at 8:02 am

    I think it’s important to not bite off more than you can chew. We’ve dramatically curtailed our social media activities because they haven’t created the results we wanted. We had specific goals, went out and tried to achieve them, and when we were unable to, we scaled back.

    That’s not to say we’re out of the game, but it’s a pretty small company, and we’re going to be careful how we expend our resources (employee time). We’re focusing on our corporate clientele right now. That doesn’t mean our individual customers don’t get the same great attention – it just means we’re not spending our resources in growing that part of the business at the moment. We still have a great product, and our customers seem to be very happy with our service.
    .-= Gomez @ autoglass repair´s featured blog ..Saturday Silliness- Where’s Matt =-.

    Reply
    • Steve says

      August 10, 2010 at 1:12 pm

      Definitely agree! Sometimes it is good to just register for some sites, then focus the strategy on just one until you are comfortable and then either stick with it fully or move on to the next network (while remembering to keep up with that first one).

      Reply
  12. Patricia says

    August 7, 2010 at 9:47 pm

    Although new to blogging and just writing articles at the moment to get readers to my site; I have embraced Twitter and I am meeting some amazing people there.
    Didn;t understand how it would all work but already got some much bigger players than me RT my articles! Sometimes from unlikely sources and I am sure both Facebook and Twitter will continue to grow in importance if used the right way.
    Before I even joined Twitter I read heaps on the eitque of tweeting and how to and how not to do it. This has been an interesting ride so far and with articles being published by experienced ppl like yourself, I look forward to even more good contacts when I Tweet.
    Thanks for making this available to us newbies. I for one am very grateful and continue to find this site very helpful on my blogging journey.
    Off to RT this for my reader.
    Patricia Perth Australia
    http://www.lavenderuses.com
    all things lavender

    Reply
  13. Stacey says

    August 7, 2010 at 1:55 pm

    I think the important thing with business Twitter accounts is for the business to ask, “what will my followers get out of following me?” Do they want your updates? DO they want to read brag after brag after boast about your business? Probably not….at least not just that. I think there should be important consumer info, maybe promo codes etc.

    I think there has to be an element of personality as well. Businesses shouldn’t be afraid to let people see the personality of the Tweeter… put a face to your business. I think that way social networks have a lot of potential to make your customers and potential customers feel as though they have some personal connection with your business.
    .-= Stacey@Social Media Blog´s featured blog ..5 Stalker-Like Tendencies Facebook Has Instilled in us ALL! =-.

    Reply
  14. Joshua Dorkin says

    August 6, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    Great post and comments. Social media is still the Wild West; anyone who is an “expert” today may be completely lost tomorrow. By following some basic principals and business smarts, you can be sure to increase the visibility for your company while eliminating any potential liabilities.

    I think the most important principal in social media, like in email, is to decide what you’re going to say, write it down, read it, then read it again, make sure you’re not being hasty in your thoughts, and when you’re comfortable, post it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll write a tweet or facebook message, only to delete it after reading it a few times. Not enough people or businesses do this and as a result, get themselves into trouble.
    .-= Joshua Dorkin @ Real Estate Investing Blog´s featured blog ..Mobile Home Investing- Beware of Hidden Liens =-.

    Reply
    • Patricia says

      August 11, 2010 at 9:14 pm

      I’m glad to see someone else who does that Joshua! I always reread everything I’ve written – whether a short Tweet or a long blog post. Don’t usually get it right the first time around. Maybe I should have been an Englsih teacher eh?!
      Patricia Perth Australia

      Reply
  15. Wedding DJs says

    August 6, 2010 at 9:52 am

    Social Media is still evolving — nobody knows if Facebook or Twitter will still be around two years from now.

    In the meantime, it behooves the business owner to embrace all of these media channels since they seem to be very popular at the moment. Although I don’t have enough time to monitor my Facebook page, its something I should do more frequently!

    Reply
    • Steve says

      August 10, 2010 at 12:59 pm

      That’s why it doesn’t hurt just to sign up for the new and upcoming networks – just to get your brand ownership there. That way if something turns into the next big thing and one of the major networks goes down, you have your brand all set on the networks people will ultimately be moving to.

      Reply
  16. Vanessa says

    August 6, 2010 at 2:29 am

    Personally I believe that whether you are selling products or services, or just publishing content for ad revenue, the efficiency and benefits of social media marketing is an unmatched method that will make your website profitable over time. That is why proper ways to your business can use social media channels to be more successful.
    .-= Vanessa from Virginia Criminal Attorney´s featured blog ..Fairfax Man Killed in Robbery During California Trip =-.

    Reply
  17. Jason says

    August 6, 2010 at 1:08 am

    I do agree with your points with “the things needed to be avoided” Steve. It’s very important that we have to control and be sensitive in sharing posts (through social networks), particularly with controversial subjects. It’s unnecessary for a “business” to take sides and give personal opinions regarding issues that are irrelevant to your business, especially if your business already has a reputation that needs to be protected.

    by the way Gail, “tweetthis” is cool, it’s my first time seeing that plugin, and I really find it cool to have things differently.

    Regards,
    Jason

    Reply
    • Steve says

      August 10, 2010 at 12:56 pm

      I always find that with any professional situation, argumentative topics like that should be avoided at all costs, and if you can’t avoid them, take a neutral ground and say that even if you may not agree, you do understand different points of view – anything to avoid a huge blowup.

      Reply
  18. Nabeel says

    August 6, 2010 at 12:46 am

    Hi,

    Great tips on social media.

    The principles you mentioned should be followed business. They are golden and can help increase the customer base and communication between the business and it’s customers.

    Kindest,
    Nabeel

    Reply
    • Steve says

      August 10, 2010 at 12:54 pm

      Thanks Nabeel!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts
You can add a link to follow you on twitter if you put your username in this box.
Only needs to be added once (unless you change your username). No http or @

Search

UPC CODES don't fall for fakes

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Getting Paid to Write – It’s More Than Just Writing
  • How a Small Business Can Compete with a Major Brand Selling Similar Products [Infographic]
  • Regular Live Online Small Business Events Tues and Wed
  • Small Business Websites: How to Make Yours More Compelling [Infographic + Video]
  • Minimizing Your Vulnerability to Online Security Risks [Infographic]
Don't Miss Your Path to Growth!
Enter your email to receive new
blog posts:

Did MOZ Drop Your Site’s DA?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv_cL50MpZA

Popular Posts

Small Business Websites: How to Make Yours More Compelling [Infographic + Video]Small Business Websites: How to Make Yours More Compelling [Infographic + Video]
Minimizing Your Vulnerability to Online Security Risks [Infographic]Minimizing Your Vulnerability to Online Security Risks [Infographic]
Career Choices: How to Find Work in the Remote Economy [Infographics]Career Choices: How to Find Work in the Remote Economy [Infographics]
Getting Paid to Write – It’s More Than Just WritingGetting Paid to Write – It’s More Than Just Writing
5 Best Inventory Control Techniques to Improve Your Bottom Line [Infographic]5 Best Inventory Control Techniques to Improve Your Bottom Line [Infographic]
How a Small Business Can Compete with a Major Brand Selling Similar Products [Infographic]How a Small Business Can Compete with a Major Brand Selling Similar Products [Infographic]
How to Use Local SEO to Boost Your Real ‎Estate BusinessHow to Use Local SEO to Boost Your Real ‎Estate Business
How to Use Martech to Ace Your Influencer Marketing CampaignsHow to Use Martech to Ace Your Influencer Marketing Campaigns
10 Motivational Podcasts for the Modern Salesperson10 Motivational Podcasts for the Modern Salesperson
Regular Live Online Small Business Events Tues and WedRegular Live Online Small Business Events Tues and Wed

Greatest eCommerce Competitive Risks to Small Businesses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=bmlJmDYaax0

Serpstat: What it Does

https://youtu.be/rjIfKdIWk7M

GrowMap Policies

  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • GrowMap Guest Blogging Guidelines

Connect With Growmap

growmap on twitter growmap on g plus growmap on linkedin growmap on pinterest growmap on facebook growmap on stumbleupon growmap on skype

Copyright © 2008-2021 Growmap · Centric Mobile Responsive Theme by StudioPress · Genesis Framework · Site maintaned By MarketingTilt

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

GrowMap
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side. Read our complete privacy policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.