Why Your Social Media Strategy Isn’t Working… And What To Do About It
Would you agree that when companies think about social media marketing the first thing that comes to mind is to go directly to the customer for promotions to drive sales?
The truth is social media offers many more level of networking opportunities that are often forgotten and much more powerful.
I believe that limiting your networking to B2C would be like buying a Swiss knife only to use the corkscrew in it, so here is a reminder of the various ways you can use social media.
B2C: Get the permission to connect
I find that the term “permission marketing” (coined by Seth Godin) perfectly describes what B2C social media marketing should be about.
If you get the privilege to be connected to a network of customers, your priority should be to give them what they are looking for: only share information you know your network will be excited to hear about or, even better, give away freebies (it can be products won through contests or free expert advice).
The key is to remember that, as a business, you will always be a temporary guest in their network and should always behave as such.
B2B: To build a professional network
B2B can actually be even more powerful than B2C, especially for small and medium-sized growing businesses.
By focusing on growing your professional network first you can build strategic relationships with other businesses that would allow you to connect with full databases of new potential customers at once.
C2C: For branding
Consumer to Consumer networking can make the difference between an online campaign going viral and a total flop. Do not forget to also connect with other individuals not as a business but as another individual with common interests.
C2C networking helps with personal brand building. It gives you the opportunity to connect with people reflective of who you are, allows you to share your passion and hobbies, and gives you the chance to showcase your knowledge and expertise in the advice you give to your connections.
Networking as an individual also helps you identify and connect with individuals who are highly influential in their own network and community and can spread the word about you, your business and its latest offers more efficiently than traditional advertising.
Remember that branding is about how customers actually perceive your brand, not about how you perceive yourself (or your business).
B2E: recruiting and internal corporate communications
It has become common practice in the world of HR to network on social media such as LinkedIn and even Facebook in order to find potential new employees or get more information about an applicant.
Posting new job positions on social media also accelerates referrals by making the forwarding of the news easier. Social media can also be used to communicate with current employees when sharing good news or to give credit to hard working and successful employees.
It should be obvious that one should avoid sharing negative news or criticizing an employee publicly.
E2E: Community building and corporate culture
Even though having your own intranet with a company-exclusive social media platform is ideal, not all businesses can afford it or make the most of it.
Creating closed private groups on social media and encouraging employees to employee connections can help creating a sense of community as well as establishing a corporate culture by facilitating social interactions within your company.
The use of social media can also facilitate professional communications across departments and help with the brainstorming of ideas.
There are no limits to what social networking can do for businesses as long as privacy is respected and the boundaries between professional life and private life are clearly established.
At which level have you seen social media effect your business the most?
