Trying social media

“I do not need social media. My business has been running without it.” Of course, not all businesses need social media. But it does not also mean that businesses that do not need social media today will not need it in the future. In my previous columns, the trend here in the Philippines is that businesses are always the last to join the bandwagon when it comes to adoption of new technologies in spite of the fact that these technologies come in so cheap and often free to use such as Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress and many other social networking platforms.

It’s too lame an excuse to say that they do not have the expertise nor the time to use such technologies as there are a lot of local talents who can help them put these systems up with the time and expertise to help them get through with the steep competition. What’s so painful and ironic to see is that our social media experts are serving our competitors overseas instead of helping our local businesses! Our businesses need to be educated on these new technologies — it is about time for them to abandon the mentality of having to wait for the government to be told what to do. Businesses need to start the education by themselves right within the confines of their very own offices.

Businesses that are not educated about social media might think that it [social media] is just a simple “hype” or another internet fad that bursts into bubble like Friendster and the muzzy chat platform like the IRC. Admittedly, I once used to say that social media was just another hype — but who would have known a few years ago how popular social media websites would actually become. There are millions of people all over the world, right now, who use these sites daily; it has actually become a part of their lives.

It’s a reality that we have to embrace and take advantage before we are left out. Companies are already beginning to find the value of social media. Research published by analyst firm Access Markets International Partners shows that almost 70 percent of small and medium businesses in the US actively use social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to promote their companies. Social media therefore has caused a tectonic shift in the way business is done today. The overwhelming growth of social media sites and the millions of companies that have benefited only signifies that this new internet sphere is ideal for connecting with existing customers and engaging with potential prospects.

As I have said, social media is FREE. A business can definitely benefit from it if it is willing to put their time to learn how to do it right and to do it well. There are a lot of resources that can be read in the internet on starting a modest campaign. But before you get your hands wet, understand why you are participating and assess your company’s needs. Ascertain your short and long term goals to address those needs before you engage existing and potential customers. Knowing your objectives will organically lead you to the right way of reaching out in the social media sphere.

Make your presence known by sharing what you know. Pick one social media site (Facebook for example) and cultivate it. Spend time on one social media site at first, developing your fan base, creating conversations and generating interest. You need to establish presence by sharing what you think is useful to your customers. Social media is also about great and useful information.

Social media is not just purely getting business. It’s also about socializing with people. Interacting with your prospects and building some kind of personal relationship. Sharing personal anecdotes with existing and potential customers will engage them and encourage them to learn more about you and your brand.

If you think that you do not have the time and the tools to engage in a social media, do not let a neophyte do your social media. There is a good reason that experience is valuable. You do not want to make an impression that you’re inexperienced and a newbie in the business. In social media, customers gauge your reliability by the amount of knowledge you know about – not only your stuff but the industry as a whole.

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