The web is such an incredible place. What started as a new and exciting way to distribute information from business to consumer, has now evolved into a free flow of communication between business to consumer, consumer to business, and consumer to consumer. Cultivating positive relationships with customers in this era means successfully utilizing social media. So, the question becomes, can you handle it? If you’re a small company with limited resources, this task may seem daunting, but with the right tools and prioritization, it can be done!
Here are three suggestions to help you manage your brand and social media reputation regardless of your limited manpower.
1) Have Presence Where Presence Is Due!
There are over 200 notable social media networking sites worldwide. Trying to promote and protect your brand on all of these sites would be very difficult and not very efficient. Although there is a possibility that your company will be discussed on some of the lesser-known sites, you should focus your efforts on the big players and those sites that are a close match for your industry type.
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have a combined 3.4 billion registered users. Those four platforms should be on the top of your social media priority list due to their reach alone. Then, you can consider sites with lower site registration volume if they reach your active target audience.
2) Let Tools Do Your Dirty Work
Social media tools can help a small team prepare, execute, and analyze successful campaigns. What may have taken days, can potentially be reduced to mere hours. Instead of teeing up content on multiple social media sites, these tools allow you to sync and schedule messaging on top of consolidating analytics and reputation reports.
Tweetdeck and HootSuite are two popular tools that allow social media managers to create content and schedule distribution. These management tools can perform multiple tasks and keep you organized in one platform.
3) Monitor Your Reputation & Let Your Customers Spread The Word!
It is essential that you know what people are saying about your brand. Is there one customer with a bad experience who is using social media to vent? Maybe reaching out to that individual could help make them happy, clear up any confusion and quiet them. It may be that simple step that makes you look like a social media hero, instead of a total zero.
Especially in today’s connected world, every customer’s voice can be heard and those voices must matter! From a simple “like,” to a comment that shows you care, each touchpoint is an opportunity to build a relationship. If your customers are your biggest fans, they will act as your “street team,” spreading your brand name and praising your products or services. So, by monitoring your reputation and interacting with clients, one single social media manager can create hundreds or thousands of word-of-mouth connections. Social media can present awesome opportunities to show your current customers that you appreciate them and show new customers how amazing you are. It doesn’t take a team of social media managers to create genuine relationships with customers which helps lead to new business.
There is nothing social about a company that stays silent. Thankfully, you don’t need a ton of voices. You shouldn’t have a ton of voices! Just one — a strong company personality that mimics the brand voice. Even small companies can benefit from the social scene with little manpower by following just a few little tips.
Best wishes and merry marketing,
Bob Fladung
Director of Advertising
INO.com, Inc.
