Every business knows that social media is vital to the success of their brand. And while most businesses now have a presence on one or more social media sites, many of those businesses have no idea what to do next. The result is stagnant sites that have few visitors, and when there are visitors, they quickly stop connecting with the sites because there is never anything new or of any real value. To think of it another way, not capitalizing on social media is like purchasing sales leads and mailing lists and then never using that information to find new customers.
Larger companies have the luxury of a dedicated staff to manage their social media presence, but many smaller businesses do not. The good news is that it is possible to increase your online exposure, gain followers, and convert those followers into customers with less effort than you might think.
Here are some ways you can do just that:
-
· Just show up. If someone visits your site with a question or comment, or even to just look around, make sure there is something new for them to see each time they visit. If there isn’t, you can bet people will just move along.
-
· Be a thought leader. Make sure what people see on your site is worth a look. If you are a bakery, keep your visitors up to date on the latest baking techniques, cake flavors, or recipes. When they have a question or concern, be the one they come to for answers.
-
· Build trust. Once you have people visiting your site more often, make sure you respond to questions or comments. This makes customers feel like you value them and will make them more likely to return. It also makes them feel part of a community.
-
· Spread the word. People may hear about your site from friends and business associates but the most common way they find you is by typing what they are looking for into a search engine like Google. When you have active accounts on different social media sites your company will in most cases be higher in page rankings and more likely to pop up in a search.
Learning to engage potential customers in new ways is always a little daunting, but rest assured, social media is much easier – and much more effective – than you can imagine.