What is social media all about? As the title indicates, it's about eating yogurt and spreading the word. I'll get to that in a minute. It's really about about communicating and interacting with others and others communicating and interacting with you. How can a business benefit from this? Businesses benefit when the communications and interactions are about their business.
As a strategic marketing consultant I spend a lot of time educating clients on social media and a recent experience is a perfect example of how social media works and how businesses can benefit from it. I was referred to an owner of self serve yogurt stores who was interested in learning how his business could benefit from social media. I met him at one of his new stores that had recently opened. It was around lunch time and he graciously invited me to grab a cup and fill it up with his delicious flavors of frozen yogurt than add whatever toppings I liked. After I made my masterpiece we sat down and started talking. One thing led to another and he asked me about his customers checking into his stores on Facebook. I demonstrated to him how it worked by checking-in at his store on my smart phone saying something like, "Having a frozen lunch." Almost immediately, I received a message back from one of my Facebook friends. He said, "Hey, you're right near my office. How is that place?" I said, "really good, they have a lot of interesting flavors and great toppings." He responded, "We've been wondering how it was ever since it opened. We'll have to get over there and check it out." That my friends, is how social media works. A user broadcasts where they are and what they are doing and anyone interested responds, then a conversation ensues, usually for all friends of both people to see. In this case a simple check-in and response gained this self serve frozen yogurt business owner a new group of customers from a nearby business office.
A business owner would have thought I was crazy years ago if he asked me to market his store and I told him that instead of paying me to market his business, he could simply create a page that his customers could access and the customers would do the advertising for him, for free, and bring in new customers who would then in turn do the same, and so forth and so on.
Businesses also need to remember that the conversations may not always be positive. Just imagine if I checked-in and then put a mouthful of frozen yogurt in my mouth and it tasted awful. My response to my Facebook friend's question would have been very different and for all to see. This is why I advise my clients that at the very minimum they need to monitor social media to see what is being said about their business. Without social media monitoring, businesses don't know what is being said about them on the popular social networks and if they don't know, they can't respond. If they don't respond, customers and potential customers think they don't care. This can have the exact opposite effect of my example and actually drive customers away and deter potential customers from ever doing business.
Not only is it important to listen and respond to what is being said about your business, it is also important to listen to what is being said about your competitors. This affords you a great opportunity to help a dissatisfied customer of your competitor and turn them into your customer.
So, have a social presence, interact with customer and potential customers, listen to what is being said about your business and respond, and listen to what is being said about your competitors and genuinely try to help them, versus trying to sell them anything, they will appreciate it and remember your business.
From now on, whenever you wonder how social media can help your business, just remember that social media is about eating yogurt and spreading the word.
Socially yours,
Greg
Social Media Greg AKA SoMe Greg
