Understanding the Power of Social
What’s the big deal with social media?
While the never ending social media posts are a headache for whomever on your team has the pleasure of non-stop posting, it’s absolutely necessary to be active on social media. Understanding the power of social is simple because it’s all around us, every single day. I can confidently tell you that if you are not on social media, at this point you’re a dinosaur. People expect to hear from you. Your customers (both current and prospective) want to hear from you. It’s within these large networks that “social contagion” is possible, leading to changes in behaviors, actions and ultimately traffic and sales for your business.
Your social media profiles are mini salespeople working for your company
Think of your social media profiles as little connectors and salespeople out there talking about your brand, products, and inviting people to check you out. If you think about it along these terms, you’ll take more pride in your profiles and understand the importance of the quality of your online presence. In many cases, it’s peoples’ first interaction with you. We all know how devastatingly important first impressions are. In our fast-paced world of social networking, information spreads rapidly with just a couple clicks. This is how noticeable snip-its go viral. When considering virtual campaigns, make sure there is a clear call to action so that efforts and outcomes become tangible.
Beautiful example of the power of social media in action:
Situation
In Alabama last week there was a sudden and tragically unexpected snowstorm. There was complete shock and chaos when the storm hit. People were stranded, others abandoned their vehicles in the middle of the street, families were separated, and everything was in disarray.
Social Networks Solution
Within a few hours, a Facebook page popped up, SnowedOutAtlanta. It was setup to help stranded motorists. One man said he was running out of insulin shots for his Diabetes and if anyone had extras. Others said they had no place to stay and people near them took them in. The page has 45K+ members all coming together to help one another.
Imagine
Imagine your company sponsored that Facebook page. The branding recognition would be invaluable. The lesson learned here is that social media success is hit or miss in terms of being at the right place at the right time with the right people viewing your posts at the right moment. Having said that, you need to be prepared to react to things quickly. You need to have as strong a following as possible so that when an opportunity presents itself, your platforms are up and running (case in point: Atlanta storm).
Gain insight into your target audience
Besides creating brand loyalty, instigating sales, and being awesomely relevant in today’s digital yellow pages called social networks, your efforts come full circle when you’re able to collect your analytics and find out who your target audience is. You are able to see exactly who is engaging with your content, profiles, and website, which in turn tells you how to communicate and brand better. It’s an excellent feeling to know who’s on the other side of the phone when you need to know what to say.
Lastly, be genuine. The online community is fabulous at ignoring disingenuousness. Care about what you’re putting out there because value-added will lead to trendsetters and opinion leaders picking you up, taking you into that viral channel. So what are you waiting for? Step into digital.
-Jamie
