There are a lot of ways to tap into this social phenomena, but the more established platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are the seeds that are guaranteeing ripe and delicious fruit. And if your company has a high visual appeal, Pinterest is one to add to the garden too. It has been said that LinkedIn is like your local chamber of commerce, Twitter is like a bar, and Facebook is like your living room.
Use LinkedIn for new business development and competitive research. Participate and promote your company in groups and LinkedIn answers. Establish a LinkedIn profile, a personal profile, for your company to tap into the power of the relationships you establish online. LinkedIn is a highly trusted source so your page will rank high in Google search results which will allow people to view it without logging into LinkedIn. Make sure your page is updated frequently to maximize on the exposure.
Use Twitter to cultivate relationships with people that can be difficult to reach like a President of a well known company, celebrity, or a famous venture capitalist. Set-up a Twitter presence by picking a name and handle that reflects your business and logo. Be aggressive on Twitter by increasing your following and providing informative and appealing content. Rule of thumb: un-follow those that are not following you back after a minimum of 5 days.
For more involved discussions, Facebook is the place to be. Make sure you tailor your post to reflect the tone of your brand and use marketing tools like surveys and Pinterest to engage longer with your audience. Strategize your presence on Facebook by posting during peak times. Bit.ly suggests links sent between 1 and 4 p.m. get the most views and Wednesday at 3 p.m. are the best time to post. When you are ready to advertise, start with $5/day in Facebook Ads. Monitor your ROI and tweak your ads to the ones people are most drawn to. Once you have over 500 'likes', begin to promote individual posts for $5 each when you have something real important to say.
Pinterest is a social network categorized as "visual bookmarking." Like Tumblr orDelicious, the service uses a browser bookmarklet, which makes it easy to post things from around the Interwebs. Pinterest's user gimmick/interface is that it lets you "pin" any photo from the Internet to a "board" on its site. It's great for retail sites with it's slick user interface and strong revenue model. The genius of it is that when you hit the "Pin It" button, it pulls out all the images on the page you're visiting, allowing you to select just the right one. Using individual photos instead of the whole URLs means that Pinterest's boards end up slick and aesthetically appealing. The site has a fascinating demographic breakdown being the strongest among young women in the midwest.
Have patience
Designate a time each day (whatever fits your schedule) to monitor and refine your social presence. Get creative. Work on getting to know your customer's likes and dislikes. Hone in on their demographics, what interests them, what they spend money on, where they spend their time, and what they are most passionate about. An innovative and well thought out social media plan can help build your brand and establish a powerful online presence. Remember the 80/20 rule, don't focus on the sale. Create content that has a "behind the scenes" feel to it. You're building brand loyalty so know 80% of your sales will come from a loyal customer referring friends and colleagues to your products and/or services they use. All this takes time, but if you remain consistent in all your efforts, you will yield a grand harvest. Just remember, social media requires that you give a "personal touch" to your company's image and brand.
