6 Killer Ways Your Business Can Leverage Social Media

There’s no denying that social media has changed the business world. It’s offered businesses, both small and large, a new and exciting way to engage with their target audience. It’s important to remember that social media is more about building long-term relationships rather than producing immediate results. However, if you understand the great benefits social media can provide your company over time, you’ll realize why it’s so important you’re utilizing the power of social media the right way.

When you’re first starting out with social media marketing, it’s best to stick to the most popular sites, like Facebook and Twitter. As you begin to understand how to use those accounts, you can think about adding in other social media sites that would work for your company, from LinkedIn and YouTube to Foursquare and Reddit.  

Ready to learn more? Check out the tips below for 6 effective ways your business can start using social media today:

1. Offer enhanced customer service. Social media offers businesses a way to provide exceptional customer service. On sites like Twitter and Facebook, your customers will have a direct line to you, whether it’s through a post they leave for you or a direct message. The caveat is that social media only works if someone is running your accounts regularly. If an upset customer sends you a message on Twitter and it goes untouched for months, they’re only going to get more upset—and ‘tweet’ about it more.

However, if that customer were to get a reply that same day or even within a couple days, you may be able to salvage a business relationship and prevent your company’s name from being slandered all over Twitter. If there’s one thing to learn about social media, it’s that with ‘reshares’ and ‘retweets’ so easily at their disposal, your customers can spread their opinions, whether good or bad, into cyberspace much more quickly (and permanently) than ever before.

2. Gain invaluable customer feedback and opinion. Ever wondered what your customers would change about your products or services if given the chance? Thanks to social media, you can easily find out. People enjoy giving their opinion, especially if it’s on a brand they love, so utilize your social media followers by asking for their feedback. Since social media is all about interaction, you’ll be engaging your users while gaining valuable insight for your business. Sounds like a win-win for everyone.

3. Drive traffic to your website. Social media is a fantastic way to get more traffic to your website, but simply posting a link to your site on Twitter and Facebook isn’t going to garner the results you want. Instead, write a witty or intriguing headline and then post a link to a page on your site with an informative or entertaining article. If you have a blog on your website, you can do the same for any posts you write.

This will have people clicking from your social media profiles to your website, and if the content is good enough, it will encourage them to click through to your other pages or articles. Even better, use a site like Bit.ly to shorten your links and track how many users are actually clicking on them. This will allow you to figure out which articles are the most popular with your followers so you can post more of the same.

4. Increase sales with exciting specials. Want more fans on Facebook and more followers on Twitter? Offer social media-exclusive discounts and specials. There’s no better incentive to become a follower on a business’ social media account than to receive exclusive specials you can’t get anywhere else. For example, you can post a secret word on Facebook that your customers have to say in-store to receive 15% off or you could send out a ‘tweet’ that your followers have to reply to between certain hours to receive a secret code for free shipping. Lure your target audience in with the promise of special promotions and discounts and keep them coming back for more by delivering them regularly.

5. Recruit new employees. Social media is a great way to recruit new employees to your team who may already be fans of your products or know your industry well. Posting a simple ‘tweet’ or Facebook status update that your company is hiring might be all it takes to reach hundreds, if not thousands, of prospective employees you might otherwise have never been able to find.

6. Establish credibility and customer trust. A great way to establish credibility with your target audience is by posting tips and helpful advice on your social media accounts. If your customers see you as an expert in your industry, they’ll value your opinion and turn to you for advice. This will help ensure they remember you when they’re ready to make a purchase. Send out tweets with concise tips or link to more in-depth how-to articles. Host an ‘Ask a (programmer, writer, chef, CEO, entrepreneur, etc.) Day’ where your social media followers can ask an expert at your company industry-related questions.  Remember, the more creative you are and the more fun you have with your social media accounts, the better your results will be.