Since the advent of Facebook, social media has hugely impacted web design. And with the ever growing trend of companies using social media to interact with their customers, it’s fair to say that if your business is not using at least one social media site then it is falling behind its competitors.
Social media gives your business its voice and allows you to engage with a much wider audience than simply relying on other promotional techniques. It also provides the great opportunity for you to make your brand appear approachable, connect to its target market and get to know fellow businesses on a more personal level. A study by Texas Tech University showed that a strong social media presence helped build brand loyalty.
However, a vast number of businesses are using social media simply as a marketing layer and are not effectively implementing the principles of social networking. Using social media solely for this purpose means businesses miss out on a much wider range of benefits.
To take full advantage of social technologies, it is important that a business fully integrates social media into its online strategy.
- Integrate CRM with social media
Customers have worked out that if they complain publicly on social media they usually receive a pretty rapid response. This is usually where a business is failing on its traditional CRM responses. It is incredibly important that a business coherently integrates CRM and social media to consistently provide the same response time and quality of service whichever channel their customers decide to use.
- Efficient communication
With short and concise messages, you can connect with your target market in a meaningful and engaging way can be more efficient than using emails or mail shots but is certainly more effective when used in conjunction with them. Groups can be created to allow large teams a more effective way of fast communication, idea sharing and problem solving which can have a great impact on how your employees interact with each other.
- Educational tool
Social media allows you to share feedback for your business and answer frequently asked questions to a wider audience. Your business can also connect directly and on a personal level with your target market and you will better understand what your customers like and don’t like about your business, allowing you to make informed changes. A study by Texas Tech University showed that a strong social media presence helped build brand loyalty.
- Inexpensive advertising
Word of mouth is invaluable in promoting your business, so if a satisfied customer talks about your business on social media, this will generate interest which can lead to more clients. Although social media cannot replace traditional advertising, using free sites such as Facebook and Twitter to market your products and services helps to expand your reach without increasing costs.
- Reach
Consumers who log in to social media sites several times a day are far more likely to receive your latest update than opening their emails, which can be sent to the junk folder or may get lost in a cluttered inbox.
To learn more, watch the latest video, or get in touch to find out how you can integrate social technologies into your business, Call us on 0208 44 44 757 or email us via the Contact Us page.