Unless you are a naïve, entrepreneur with blinkers on, you must have seen the incredible transformation and massive shift, which is going on in the online world. There are constant conversations going on around all sorts of issues, including customer needs and expectations. These changes have given the wise entrepreneur a very effective medium to listen in on conversations, which could tell them what their market is thinking and really wants. This new technology also offers a wonderful opportunity to not only engage in one way communication with their target markets, but to receive feedback almost instantly as well. This feedback is a fantastic way of getting to understand the needs within your market and to get to understand new or changing trends that you can turn into opportunities.
The transformation in the online world has seen numerous new opportunities appear via the new social media platforms, which allow customers and prospective customers in all markets, to communicate with the person behind the product or service. Any smart marketer will use these new platforms to provide relevant communication with their market, directed at the soft triggers within their target audience. This strategy when carried from a perspective of sharing and giving, where the entrepreneur constantly adds real meaning and value to the various forums, will help get the people in your target market to know, like and trust you and your product or service.
Social media has made it possible for prospects and customers to get involved in on-going two-way conversations with a real person. Should they need assistance they can communicate this via the social media platforms or should they need support which cannot be offered using any online option, they can communicate with someone they trust and who can assist them, either by phone or email. This two way open communication via public social media forums has put immense power in the hands of the customer. They can endorse your product or service and assist your marketing efforts or they can express concerns about the quality of your product and service and damage your credibility in the market.
If you listening in on the various social media platforms and there is a real concern about your product or service, you can quickly respond. This quick response, when done properly, can turn what may have been a damaging situation into an opportunity for you to show how good your company really is. A quick response, in which you show your companies willingness to sort out any customer concerns, can become one of the most powerful marketing tools possible. Other potential customers in your target market will quickly get to know, like and trust you.
The other great opportunity to exploit, is when one of your competitors, has a challenge and it is spoken about on any social media platform. If your competitor is not listening in and they miss the opportunity to sort out the issue, it gives you the chance to step in and to shine. You can comment on the various posts and provide solutions and answers, which will help promote your products and services. If you want to survive and thrive in this new technological world, it is crucial to have your ears and eyes in all the relevant places where your customers and prospects hang out. There are really powerful tools available, which allow you to do key word searches, which will help you to discover anyone speaking about you or your competitors.
I was having a challenge getting the local satellite TV Company to address a challenge I was having with their service. On calling through to their help desk, I was told by their representative, that they could not help me at that time, as their computer system was down. I asked if I they could call me back once the fault was corrected, his response was less than satisfactory, he stated that it was a call in help desk, not a call back service. I immediately posted a comment on Twitter about the lack of service, stating the companies name and how unhappy I was. The conversation really got going and within minutes, there were a number of people participating in the conversation.
Someone at the satellite company was listening in and within a few minutes was participating in the conversation. They were very slick and quickly resolved my issue and many of the other customer concerns, who joined the conversation. They did a great job of fixing what could have really damaged their reputation, by listening in and then sorting out the mistake made by a disgruntled employee. This fast response by the satellite TV Company, gave me and everyone else, who had joined the conversation a new found respect for them. They turned a potentially damaging situation into a great customer relations exercise.
Turning Social Media into a Business Tool
The real art of using social media to market your business is not about starting a Facebook page, writing a daily blog or tweeting throughout the day. It is about emotion, listening and communicating to a select few people in the right place, who want what you have to offer for sale. Building massive lists of people, who do not need or want what you offer, is pointless and will merely consume your valuable time. Success in social media is not about the size of your lists on Facebook, twitter and your blog. It is all about how you manage to convert the people on your lists into long term customers. Use technology to speak to the right people, in the right places and awaken their emotion. Get them to know, like, trust and see value in what you have to offer, by communicating relevant meaningful information and joining conversations, which are relevant to your products or services.
When building your strategy to incorporate social media into your marketing mix, it would serve you well to take a look at the corporate trend setters such as Kodak, Dell computers and Starbucks. Take a look at what they are doing with blogs, Facebook fan pages, their strategy on twitter and YouTube. They are all doing a pretty good job of using all these forms of media to promote their companies. Observing what they are up to, will give you a great background and feel for what is working right now.
Dell for example uses their Facebook fan page to build loyalty with their customers. www.facebook.com/DellSocialMedia. This page was created to offer a social media resource that allows Dell to target a demographic outside of their traditional market. The Coco Cola fan page on Facebook is run by two people not employed by Coca Cola. www.facebook.com/cocacola. This was a page started by two fans of Coca Cola. Instead of shutting the page down for using the Coca Cola brand without permission, they rewarded the two people that started the page with a free trip to Atlanta, for their efforts in starting the page. This free trip was widely publicized as Coca Cola was hoping that more people would become loyal fans too. The coca cola page now has a massive following of loyal fans.
If you are to succeed with the social media strategy, you must be authentic, passionate and you must be transparent in all your communications. When you commit to make social media work for your business you cannot just dip your toe in to the conversation pool and hope to become successful. You must commit to become a leader and be viewed as an expert in your field. Constantly provide good quality content and lead your conversations with integrity.
Author: Andrew Horton Motivational Speakers
http://www.andrewhorton.co.za
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