Social Media. We’ve all heard about it. It seems like the newest buzzword that everyone from small business owners to corporate managers are talking about. But what is Social Media? In a nutshell, social media refers to communication between people via the World Wide Web. Examples include things like blogs, message boards, forums, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Linked-In and Twitter.
Social Media presents you with the opportunity to talk directly to your customers and prospects. It enables you to join in their conversations, listen to their thoughts and learn from their insights. It also allows you to talk about your products or services in a casual, non-threatening way (no hard sell). Here are a few ways social media can help you promote your business:
- It builds credibility. When you offer useful advice or helpful suggestions via online forums, people will begin to see you as an expert. They’ll start to trust you.
- It creates camaraderie. People love talking about things they have a passion for. If you’re selling to dog owners, join in their online conversation. Share their enthusiasm. Show them that you really “get” it. Before long people will start to like you.
- It’s personal. Everyone enjoys having a conversation with another human being. The more you chime in, the more people will begin to know you. They’ll start to see you as a friend, instead as a marketer or salesperson who is simply trying to squeeze dollars out of them.
Bottom line: people buy from those they know, like & trust. Social media provides you with an easy, cost-effective way to increase this “Know, like and trust” factor.
