You just started a business and have all your ducks in a row. With experienced and trained teams in human resources, operations/business development, marketing, web development, accounting, customer service, and planning/product development set up, you’re ready to launch. However, before you do, have you thought of integrating an in-house social media team into your marketing department?

Whether your business is new or well-seasoned, if you haven’t thought about it, here are three important reasons why it’s time to take your shoes and socks off and step into social media waters.

  1. Someone is always willing to listen to what you have to say/offer.
    In order to tell others about your brand, products, or services, you have to find the Dr. Frasier Cranes of the world, otherwise known as those with an “I’m listening.” attitude. People are always looking for a company that offers something unique and new to them. So, how do you find these kinds of people?

    Unlike being in any crowded place, when it comes to social media, you want to go where the people are. Promoting your brand across social media platforms is important because there is always someone out there who wants to see or hear what you have up your sleeve. Community managers are people who live and breathe on social media platforms. Their job is to talk to your current and potential customers, provide updates on the latest news/trends/products, and most importantly, listen to what your customers have to say. Since there are a variety of industries out there, you can have one of more community manager who focuses specifically on customer service, marketing/sales, customer support, etc.

    Remember, you never know who is listening because when you least expect it, someone might come along and want to invest in your innovative business, product, or service!

  2. Grow your business by learning who your consumers are to gain a better understanding of your audience’s needs.
    Rather than trying to guess your audience’s needs, use social media platforms to listen. Social media is a way for brands to listen, measure, and engage with their audiences to create solutions. If you have ever left a good or bad review such as in yelp.com for a product you purchased or read reviews before buying something, you are giving/using customer insight. By doing this, you as a customer, are giving feedback to the company as well as current and potential customers. From a business standpoint, consider your customers’ feedback as useful “offline” conversations to better understand your audience’s needs.

    In what other ways can you use social media platforms to get to know your audience? Well, you can stream events live through a YouTube channel for those who can’t physically make it to your End of the Year Fundraiser Event. How about letting everyone in on the latest news happening at your company via Twitter or even holding contests just for your Facebook fans? By using social media, you can build your relationship with your customers, maintain strong connections with your stakeholders and show others through conversation that you care. Don’t just hear. Listen. Show that the power of an individual really matters to your brand by keeping your current customers and gaining new ones through understanding their needs.

    How else can a company gain customer insights, improve their product development, and strengthen their customer service if listening and engaging in conversation does not happen? The better you understand your audience, the more your business will grow.

  3. Improve your brand’s message by gaining a plethora of data critical for your business.
    Social media platforms hands you important data on a silver, wait, scratch that, platinum platter. Marketers have these technology and resources to see how your customers/clients like your services/products. For example, Facebook’s Insights Summary feature is an in-your-face, here-is-what-others-think-about-your-brand metric system in real-time.

All you have to do is just look at the right corner of your Facebook Business Page to see how many active users you have, if anyone new digs your brand, and the amount of impressions, likes, and comments you are getting. From this information, you can strategize your next plan for your fans such as a contest just for your loyal customers. To have a successful social media campaign, it’s important to talk to your marketing agency to build a campaign customized for your company.

Using social media as a marketing strategy can be exasperating, especially for major brands who receive attention through a large range of platforms. However, remember that if you’re just starting, don’t expect for your business to grow overnight via social media. Networking, making those connections, and building relationships takes time. Observe the feedback your customers are giving you and the conversations going on offline and use this information as real-time data to be responsive and helpful to your customers, improve your brand’s image, and grow your business.

If you would like to learn more about the social media platforms that are right for your business and/or are thinking about having a community manager(s), contact us at: www.envisioninteractive.com to talk with an Envision Interactive Social Media Expert.