There’s a new social network on the horizon, and it could be greater than Facebook. Remember back in the day, before your grandma and your fifth cousin four times removed were hitting you up for friend requests, Facebook was all about college students interacting and connecting? A new site is branching off this idea, but with emphasis on college students. It’s college only–no, seriously this time. It’s in the name and everything.

Privacy Worries No More?

CollegeOnly is truly exclusive, requiring a college email address to even get into the site. Josh Weinstein, creator of the site, saw the opportunity for creating a more specialized social network. Josh said he wanted to allow students to steer away from the editing required on sites like Facebook in fear that family or potential employers could see. This site is truly meant for pure socialization. But, just because it’s solely college people able to use the site now doesn’t mean it will always be that way (even though the name is promising, I’m a skeptic at heart). Besides, it’s still an Internet site, meaning one way or another, it’s almost certain other non-college students will at one point or another breach the site. You should be careful of what you post regardless.

We Can ALL Be Friends!

I can see this turning into online wars and awkwardness galore. Once you sign onto the website with your college email, you’re automatically connected with everyone else from your school—that’s right, no friend requesting on this bad boy. Such instant connections might make cyber stalking and bullying that much easier. While you can block members, if there are a ton of people from your school networking on the site, would you really want to go through the effort of going through everyone and figuring out who needs to be blocked? It seems like this site can end up being a little more…social than what Weinstein’s bargained for, but you never know. Maybe someone will bake a cake made of rainbows and smiles and everyone will eat and be happy (“Mean Girls”, anyone?).

All About the College Experience

Though the site seems similar to Facebook, Weinstein has talked about different features like “After Party” and “Missed Connections”, which users can even opt to contribute to anonymously. With new features like text chat and video chats he’s striving to develop, everyone will know which frats have the best parties, which dorm is most desirable, what classes to avoid, and basically anything a college student would want to know. This site will likely become a key source of information for the freshman anxious to become part of the campus scene.

All in all, this site has a solid niche that likely won’t be decreasing in numbers anytime soon. There are a few kinks to be worked out, and users should still be wary of what they’re posting. Just because the site is exclusive, doesn’t mean everything posted will stay circulating in only that exclusive crowd. If used properly, this site can actually be quite helpful, fun and possibly make college students more lasting connections than Facebook can. Though CollegeOnly is still new on the scene and much like a freshman itself, it might just become a hot commodity in the future.

Well, the Yellow Pages moved online to attempt to keep up with innovation.  But its customers did not.  Sure, businesses may still list in the Yellow Pages, but they are absolutely thinking more about their online presence than that big yellow book.

Why did this change?  Because customers began to share experiences online and gain their own trust and opinions from others.  Customers took this information and freely shared it, positive or negative, with anyone and anyone who was interested.

And now, through social media, businesses are able to be a part of that conversation.  Evolution happens in any business.  Evolve or die is the old saying, so what should your business do in this next era of communication?

1 )  Understand the conversation – Social media allows businesses to listen to conversations and even participate when necessary.  If a business hears a complaint, they will be able to respond immediately or alter their business model accordingly.  How your customers regard your business directly affects your bottom line, so why wouldn’t you want to listen?

2)   Customers will always talk about you – You are a relevant business when customers bring your name up in a conversation.  But shouldn’t you be where those conversations start?  The minute your customers stop talking about you is the minute you have much larger issues to consider.

3)   People want to believe – Customers always want to believe they are buying a quality product or service.  Social media is a tool that allows businesses to reinforce a positive experience.  If you are Nike and you hear that a customer bought a new shoe and the sole came apart, how important is it for you to reply to this?  It is very important!  One bad experience can spread instantaneously across the interwebs.  Nike has a great online presence and interacts well with its customer base, and people continue to believe in the Nike product and service.

4)   Businesses don’t control conversations – Customers will always drive a conversation about you, but you are able to participate more than ever.  Complaints maybe addressed.  Concerns are able to be eased.  Compliments are able to either be acknowledged or ignored (there are benefits to both).  Being there reinforces that you care about what your business does.

5)   Reach your audience anyplace, anytime – Coupons are still used, but the online coupon market is growing rapidly.  Think about posting a coupon to your Facebook fan page or publish a Tweet with a coupon code at a timely moment.  Maybe you could put a tip in foursquare when someone checks into a location close to your business.  A message at an opportune time will keep you relevant and maybe even increase business.

6)   Social media is a part of your marketing strategy – Good businesses continually evaluate their strategy (evolve or die).  These companies deliberate where improvements can be made, where they should spend money, etc.  Social media is an investment, but it isn’t always a costly investment.  Yes, time is money but it isn’t spending $25,000 on a newspaper marketing budget or on a billboard strategy.  Now you are able to connect with those who want to see you and are interested in you.  Target marketing at its best!

7)   Don’t do social media because I said so – After all of this, I understand that social media is not for everyone.  There are businesses where it does not make sense or you are not legally allowed to participate.  I get it, but to say no without even trying is failure at its best.  Join social media because it makes sense for you and your business, not because me or a “social media expert” says you should.  Businesses need to analyze where they need to spend their time.  While social media is worthwhile, it isn’t for everyone.

Social media is a new platform for businesses and customers to connect.  Businesses are able to better analyze and address their customers in seconds rather than waiting for the dreaded newspaper clippings to hit the next day.

Social media is a communications vehicle just like the telephone, the fax machine, and the internet when all of these first were released.  People had the same fears they have now, just in a different technology element.  Relax your fears and test it out, your customers are not going to wait for you.

Photo credit to Disney Clip Art

—

Keith McIlvaine manages the recruiting social media strategy for a Fortune 500 company and is an avid networker.  He is a corporate recruiter, social media advisor, coach, speaker, blogger and an all around fanatic.  Connect with Keith on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or on his blog at the HR farmer.  (The statements posted on this site are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer)

What is your message?

What is it you want to do?  Who is it you want to help? What problem do you solve? Why do they need you? What makes you better or different? The answers become part of your message and direct your strategy.

What is your competition doing?

Is your competition already on Twitter?  How are they using it?

Jeff Bullas published two posts about using Twitter for Business!

5 Twitter Case Studies

How to Use Twitter for Business: 5 More Incredibly Interesting Case Studies

What these case studies point out is that companies have different reasons for using Twitter, none are right or wrong.  They capitalized on some of the key features of the tool, such as  “real-time” feedback, mass number of users, satisfied customers, etc., to implement their strategies.

Where do you find followers?

Wait, you need to identify your target audience first.  Is it by industry or geography?  Try Twellow.  First add yourself to this free directory, then mine it for industry or Twellowhood  Tweeters.

I know there are ways to mass follow, but that violates my quality vs quantity values.  I want to at least think there is a reason that I am following  the people I follow.  You can follow other industry-leader “lists” on Twitter.  For example:  want to keep track of who Pete Cashmore, CEO of  Mashable. says is in the know?  Follow his social media list of over 6000 tweople.

I didn’t know marketing a business could be so fun. I am enjoying  the positive feedback, the sense of community and along with the helpfulness from complete strangers.

Hannah Morgan, aka Career Sherpa, is a guide for lifetime career navigation.  She provides no-nonsense advice on how to pro-actively manage your career.  She is a blogger and avid fan of Twitter and other new media.

]]> http://blog.brand-yourself.com/social-media/social-media-strategy-social-media/how-to-get-your-business-going-on-twitter/feed/ 0 http://blog.brand-yourself.com/social-media/social-media-strategy-social-media/how-to-get-your-business-going-on-twitter/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/brand-yourself/OjFQ/~3/2iqweePtVag/ http://blog.brand-yourself.com/personal-brand/news/graduated-from-college-but-your-wardrobe-hasnt/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:15:02 +0000 Elethia Deal http://blog.brand-yourself.com/?p=11819 As summer draws to a close, I begin to celebrate the arrival of fall, the start of school and the chance to evaluate a few closets. Evaluate closets? You’re likely thinking, “Where did that come from?”

As an image consultant (and former college student), I know internships have ended. So now  recent college graduates are either starting new jobs or on the job-hunting trail.  With 55% of first  impressions based on appearance… there’s little wiggle room for mishaps.  Given that, here are  some steps to building a basic wardrobe for fall:

1. Check your inventory

Ladies, do you have a decent pair of pumps, a dress, a dress shirt, slacks, a cardigan, and a pair of  unripped jeans? Men, do you have a suit, dress shirt, tie, dress socks, chinos, belt, and a pair of  unripped jeans? If not, get them.

2. Organize your closet

Figure out what you have, purge what you do not need and list the things you will need. Here’s a  quick way to start. First, purge the oversize sweatshirts, excessively ripped jeans, and the 30 or more ill fitting free t-shirts. Next, purchase some wooden or Velcro hangers. To make items easier to find, separate your clothing according to lifestyle. Then hang pieces by color. Store summer clothes away. Send items to dry cleaner for extended wear.

3. Add color

Is your budget too tight to build a new wardrobe? Add color to what you already have. A statement necklace, scarf, patterned tights, or a tie with splashes of color can brighten up any outfit.

4. Hit up vintage or secondhand stores

Since its season has passed, you end up with a designer original. Visit places like ebay.com or thethriftshopper.com.

5. Shop the closet of an experienced professional.

After years in corporate, you may find someone who is willing to give it away just to clear up space.

6. Buy quality clothing you can afford to keep up.

Many of the quality pieces out there require dry cleaning. Check the label. Though dry cleaning bills can add up you can also wear these items more than once!

7. Get what you need.

Go shopping with your list of needs. Don’t let Labor Day or one day sales suck you in! Kindly, turn down freebies from the experienced professional if you do not need them.

There’s so much more I can say but the truth is you already know most of this. Whatever you do just remember… people judge your brand by what you wear. Getting ahead requires more than hard work. Building a work wardrobe with the right pieces is just a start. You should always ask yourself, “What else can I do to strengthen my brand?”

Elethia Deal is an image consultant and professional speaker for Alexander Q Image Group. She regularly holds workshops on personal branding, color analysis, financial management… to name a few. She is also a speaker for the Making It Count Programs of Monster Worldwide where she speaks to over 2,000 students each year about managing money, finding a career and personal branding.

I would start calling these candidates, one by one, with hopes to find the ‘ideal candidate’. One of the first questions I would typically ask is, “what was it about this job that was of interest to you?” Sometimes I unfortunately get this response, “I have been out of work for 8 months. At this point, I’ll take anything”.  Really? That is why you want to work here?

The candidate likely did a whole lot of work to get noticed and then was sadly ousted in the first 5 minutes of the process. And that is just one example of so many other ways candidates seem to express the same idea; they don’t really want this job, they just need a job.

To be a job seeker and to have made it into that list of 10 is a pretty big deal considering the competition! But the facts are, as much as I truly sympathize (and it really is very hard to hear that desperation), job seekers must understand that part of running a business is to find the right employees. The right employees are not people who just need ‘a job’.  Despite the tough economic times, the right employee is an individual who wants to work at that specific company and plans to stick around for a long time.

It’s a well-known fact that many of today’s unemployed job seekers are having a difficult time landing a new position. The job search process can take months or even years if it’s not executed properly. If a job seeker really prepares for the job search and makes every effort to stand out online and with their cover letter and resume, the likelihood of securing a job interview significantly increases.  Once that happens, it is critical to take your strong brand that got you the interview and bring it to the interview.

Stating “I’ll take anything at this point” is a pretty bold statement.  But here are some ways candidates say the same thing without using those words:

Q:  I noticed you were working part time in your last position. Are you looking for full time work now?
A:  Ideally, I prefer to work part time but there just aren’t many part time jobs out there so I am looking at full time jobs as well.

Q:  It appears your last job was higher level and that you were a supervisor. This job is not a supervisory position.  Would this feel like you are taking a step down from your previous position?
A: I prefer to have a supervisory position but I can’t really be picky at this point.

Q: This job will pay less than your last position. What are your thoughts on that?
A:   Well, It’s better than what I am getting paid now!

These types of responses tell me that the job is not ideal for the candidate. It says that the candidate needs money and will do it for the time being.  If hired, he will likely continue to look for a job until he finds the one that he really wants. Unfortunately, employers just are not interested in hiring short-term employees.  The cost of turnover is simply too pricey.

What are the better ways to answer those questions? These types of questions must be answered in a way that shows your interest in the company. An appropriate answer might be, “yes, this job is (full time, less responsibilities, less pay, etc) but I have done quite a bit of research on the company and I am more than willing to make this change because I really want to be a part of the team and I feel I could make significant and immediate contributions”.

Self-confident and direct answers are the way to go. The example Q&A’s from earlier illustrated the mentality of a job seeker who doesn’t believe he can attain a job with his key desired attributes. So, choose self-confidence! Even if the job market is so crappy that it’s likely you will have a take a job with a pay cut, the employer needs to know that it’s what you want (in exchange for the experience).

I know that a long job search that doesn’t yield a job can be very difficult for many people and really takes a toll on self-esteem.  This is perfectly normal and is understandably compounded by the stress of financial situation. The longer one goes without a job, the more people tend to personalize it and then the lack of confidence or desperation starts spilling out in the job interview.

If you are a job seeker who is finding yourself feeling less confident and more desperate, I think it’s critical that you take some time to really work on changing your thought patterns.  Even if you don’t say anything similar to the examples above, a lack of confidence does tend to show through in your general overall demeanor during an interview.

The great thing about the human brain is that we do not have to accept the thoughts that randomly come into our heads.  You can choose to dismiss them and replace them with more encouraging and self-esteem boosting thoughts.   Instead of walking around thinking, “I’ll never get a job, I don’t have the right experience, I am too young or too old and not good enough”, immediately dismiss that and force yourself to think “I will get a job, I have great skills and am a great person and would be a great addition to any team, I just have to keep working at it every day and the right job will find me!”

Your thoughts can create your destiny. Negative thoughts are far more likely create negative results and positive thoughts are far more likely to create positive results.  If you want to get a job, always remember, “thoughts become things” and believing in yourself and your skills is key to your success!

Jessica Simko is a seasoned senior level Human Resources professional with over 15 years of experience in all facets of Human Resources Management. She is a Career Coach and Consultant specializing in helping all levels of career professionals create, build, and maintain a strong career brand in the corporate work culture. She strives to help people connect their passions with their jobs and then to leverage their brand to maximize their potential throughout their careers. She offers a wide variety of career branding articles and tips at Career Branding Guide where she also offers coaching and consulting services based on the Career Branding Guide model. Feel free to connect with her on:

Linked In
Facebook
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Glenn is a personal friend of mine, a college classmate. We attended West Virginia University (WVU) together in the mid-1980′s.

Gillian is Glenn’s 10 year old daughter, a sixth grader.

Oliver Luck is the newly-hired athletic director at WVU. He also starred at quarterback at WVU in the early 1980′s. Oliver went on to play in the NFL. His playing days were followed by a successful career in sports management, notably with the NFL – Europe league.

Now, let’s proceed with the story. Glenn is a great father. He frequently takes his daughter and son on road trips for fun and education. He is especially fond of exposing his children, who presently reside in New Jersey, to his former “stomping grounds” in West Virginia.

Recently, Glenn and Gillian took a trip to Morgantown to visit WVU. Following this trip, his daughter was left with a question. As Glenn explained:

My daughter is convinced that she is going to WVU even though she is just going into the 6^th grade.   She plays pretty competitive travel softball.  I pointed out to her that WVU currently does not have a softball team, and she asked why.  I explained that a university-level sports team is very expensive to run and she asked me who she should talk to about the university getting a team.  I told her to write a letter to the new Athletic Director, Oliver Luck.  So she did… and he responded!

Who knows if she will keep playing or ever play at the college level.  But I think an awful lot of Oliver Luck for taking the time to draft a very detailed response, and for him to offer her up advice on her future.  Pretty cool!

Now, here’s the good part. The following is the text from a personal letter that Athletic Director Oliver Luck sent in response to Gillian:

Dear Gillian:

Thank you very much for your letter of July 22. I congratulate you for taking the initiative to send a letter to me–that’s very impressive for a 10-year old. Regarding your issue and women’s softball; I can tell you that I would love to add a number of sports to the WVU Dept. of Athletics, including softball. It would be a great step for us to be in a position to add sports like men’s and women’s golf and men’s and  women’s lacrosse as well as the sports that we eliminated a few years ago – men’s tennis and men’s track and cross country.

I am sure that you understand the financial implications involved in adding additional sports. We estimate that any additional sport will involve at least $1 million in operating costs and of course there would be significant capital costs required to build a new field, locker rooms, etc.

West Virginia University prides itself on having a financially self-sufficient Dept. of Athletics, one of only a dozen schools in the nation to make the claim. My predecessor, Ed Pastilong, did an incredible job of maintaining this “fiscal independence” and I am determined to continue this under my watch.

Gillian, as I learn more about the Dept. of Athletics and the overall University, I will begin the process of looking at the possiblity of additional sports being added. Will we add any in the future? The short answers is I don’t yet know. But I can tell you we will look at the possibility.

Please allow me to give you one last bit of advice, something which I have shared with my four kids, including my oldest children who are competing in college athletics: choose a school primarily for academics, not athletics. You want to come out of college as prepared as you can to enter the work force (or perhaps attend graduate school). Your academic success is going to be the key to your success in life. Don’t get me wrong – athletics is tremendous and you will learn a good bit about yourself as you compete in junior high and high school. But you should always focus on your academics.

Thank you again for your letter and I hope to see you enroll at WVU in the Class of 2022!

Sincerely,

Oliver Luck – Director of Athletics

How is Oliver Luck’s personal brand trending these days? No job is without challenges, but Mr. Luck’s reputation is certainly strong and rising, in light of this story and (presumably) many others like it. In conclusion, I will share with you the fact that Glenn distributed this letter to 200 of his friends via e-mail. Without a doubt, he and Gillian have shared this story–and sung the praises of Oliver Luck–with hundreds more.

Skip Lineberg is co-author of “Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out and Move Up at Your First Real Job.” His book is filled with lessons, like this one, about leveraging the incremental edge to ignite your career success and boost your personal brand. Incidentally, Lineberg who was, himself, a high school quarterback, met Oliver Luck at a summer football camp at WVU in the early 1980′s; he was impressed back then–now, even more so!

In the olden days, websites were static.  Today, they have morphed to social.  There are comments, Likes, Retweets, Stumbles, and many other methods of sharing.  As the owner/author of the blog, you always want your content shared because sharing drives more traffic to your site.  The more traffic to your site, the better your odds of getting comments and building something more valuable (leads, referrals, new business).  Of course, traffic for the sake of traffic isn’t a bad thing either.

Getting people to comment on your blog is key for many reasons:

• It creates a richer experience for everyone!
• Comments are a chance to listen!
• Responding to comments shows you are listening!
• Comments can validate/convey your expertise/wisdom/brand!
• Comments provide a personal side.  No one wants to do business with an entity.
• It can facilitate the start of a relationship/networking opportunity.

I am a synthesizer of information, not a thought leader.  To better understand the complexity of the social world of technology, I highly recommend “Trust Agents” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. It lays out the logic of socializing the old business models.

Blogs offer the opportunity to really hear what your audience has to say, if, you can get them to comment.

In order to help those that were not comfortable commenting, you may want to conclude your posts with a question.  If you want comments, tell them you value their opinions and ideas and welcome comments.  You may also choose to explain what the benefits of commenting are to them in a post.  “Why comment on this site?” isn’t such a bad title for a post.  Actually the act of writing that post might help clarify your blog’s purpose as well.

Way back in 2008, Dan Schawbel wrote a simple and still applicable post, “The 2 Ps and 4 Cs of Personal Branding”

• Protection, Promotion
• Content, Comments, Conversation, Community

From my own personal experience, it has been a great learning opportunity to be involved in blogging.  I’ve met some incredibly generous people along the way.  I’ve also been referred business (cha ching).  See what happens when you give to get!

At that notion, my first reaction is is to shake my head. Because that’s not entirely right.

The reason for the analytics assumption is because of one word: Google.  Google (with heaping-help from Yahoo!, Microsoft, and other networks) has made keywords an essential medium for small businesses to analyze and gauge their online advertising success.  Businesses must use the right keywords to gain visibility for search as well as for ad placement.  All the while, Google Analytics became the de facto standard of online advertising measurement, with a reported 62% share of the web analytics solution market.

The problem, though, is that for many business professionals, website analytics has become too synonymous with PPC and SEO needs.  That, coupled with an overattention on obtaining a top SERP position, creates a narrow strategy, a belief that a top page is an encompassing panacea for freely acquiring customers and reducing marketing cost. There’s data that justifies this assumption.  A study from Business.com indicated as much as 80% of B2B firms sought their solutions via a search engine.

But a blind overfocus on search engine ranking implies that search is the ONLY way customers and clients discover a given business online.  However, evidence indicates that consumers and clients are discovering businesses through other means.  In a March 2010 Search Engine Strategies article, for example, ClickZ staff writer Jack Marshall explained how online consumers are spending more time on Facebook, while growth in the traffic to Google search engine dipped in November and December 2009.  While the article does state that search has considerable more traffic than Facebook, it does suggest that social media has become an augment for discovering a product or service.

I am not saying SERP is dead.  My point is that given the online traffic today, other sources for being discovered are alive.

Businesses should look at their website analytics tool as a guide for comparing efforts that best match the goals for a given online presence.  The result is a more efficient strategy on the traffic that really brings clients on board and an elimination of wasted time, resources, and costs on the efforts that don’t.

So how can a small business owner use website analytics differently?  These simple steps can give business owners a start.  They are not comprehensive — much of an analytics’ value comes from understanding the purpose of a site with respect to a business strategy and being accountable to check on that performance periodically. But they can give an idea of how to approach a comparison.

1) Begin to measure what sources contribute to the website traffic. Look at the number of visitors, the length of the visit, and the bounce rate (A high bounce rate means that visitors are leaving the site quickly. Imagine entering a Macy’s department store, realizing you wanted Nordstrom’s, then immediately turning around – symbolically that what a bounce is).

2) For each source, begin to measure the trend regarding the length of time visitors stay onsite. Is the time increasing or decreasing? Is the trend different over month-to-month or week-to-week?

3) Determine the differences in traffic site behavior, if possible. Is the behavior from one kind of traffic indicates that it favors your site content?

4) Finally see if you can match the dates of online efforts with trends that occur in the dashboard data. Google Analytics offers annotation, for example, so it is possible to mark the day on which a new campaign started, a new blog post has been created, or a press release issued.  If annotation is not available, business owners can maintain a log.  The key is to provide a means to connect the dates of content changes to changes in the data trends.

Keep in mind the usage of other platforms beyond search engines depend on industry – many B2Bs still use Google first to find vendors, for example – so usage of some tools may not be an aid. But applying a strategy development mindset when using an analytics site may open a business to other opportunities to strengthen a brand and attract more customers to a site.

From the Top

When first creating your business’s channel on YouTube, you have to plan out how you want to appear to people who already follow you on Twitter and Facebook, as well as how to attract new followers. Make sure your custom URL makes sense for your business, if you are unable to use your business’s name. The first videos uploaded should really help explain what your business is all about and establish your channel as credible and helpful. Upload presentations you’ve given in the past to help create a sense of mastery and authority. Perhaps have a slide show presentation that gives the details in a quick and easy read of what your business does. You need to give the viewers a background of who you really are.

With a solid basis, you can then start trying to show more sides of your outreach and employees by creating videos with tips or interviews with business leaders, etc. But remember, don’t only focus on your own account. Try to get involved and noticed in the community by commenting on others’ videos as well, even if their channel is mere uploads of different music videos. You want to try to expand your reach.

It’s All About You!

The YouTube channel should really be focused on the customers if you want to attract a large following. More than just being about the customers, it can’t all be business. In case you haven’t noticed, most videos that get video counts into the thousands are really funny. You need to bring it. Your YouTube channel should really be an attraction, leading users to your Twitter and other online social media resources. By creating a sort of customer service video, any customers can get the support they need easily without bombarding you with questions nonstop. Maybe even try your hand at humor, like Zappos, and post the occasional non-business related video that’s just meant for some laughs. You’ll come off as more personable and interesting, which will likely lead to more people paying attention to your business.

Don’t be Forgotten

If you’re going to make a YouTube channel, make it worth your while. Don’t post one video and then forget it exists. Every so often, update the channel, even if the video is just a 2 minute recap of what’s been going on with your business lately. Your followers will be excited to see an update—even if they’ve been following you on Twitter and see updates daily, the video adds a personal touch and makes them feel more connected with an actual person. Although YouTube isn’t for everyone, give it a shot if you feel your business isn’t getting all the attention it deserves. Posting a few videos here and there could really give your business a personal touch and generate a new following. With just a little effort, your employees could even be YouTube stars—and not many businesses have a title like that under their belts!

Social media is the next tool for businesses to connect with their clients, customers and target audience.  Other mediums (such as print, radio, television, website banner ads, in-video game ads, etc.) may still be pertinent to your business, however, social media is one avenue that cannot be ignored by *almost* everyone.

* NOTE: * there are some industries, such as the financial services industry, where connecting and sharing information online is regulated and not an advantageous method to connect with your audience.

Having said this, for most other businesses, social media makes complete sense to leverage and connect with your market.  As many of you already know, social media is not a post-only service.  Communicating, connecting and engaging your audience is incredibly important, moreso than what information a business has to convey.

Individuals are able to go pretty much anywhere on the Internet to learn about your business, your products & services and maybe even feedback on what other customers thought after working with you.  Social media allows businesses to take engagement to the next level.

Notice I did not use the word “relationship”.  I feel this is incredibly important to distinguish, as your consumers are not looking for a relationship.  They are looking to engage with you to learn, ask questions, gain feedback and feel that they are purchasing from a customer service friendly company.

The more engagement that occurs, the better the perception (and hopefully the reality) that the business cares about its customers.  If nothing else, social media allows for four major areas where companies must participate:

Be Found
People want to see companies on social media.  These people may not readily admit they are looking for a business but they are cognizant over who is and who isn’t there.  This is crucial.  Having a presence is important to share information and connect with your audience.  This is also beyond the business web site, which adds a personal element to the equation.

Listen
Businesses are now able to listen to comments from the public in a very direct and real-time manner.  Companies such as Radian6 provide in-depth measurement (ROI) tools for businesses to track many variables across the interwebs.  This may also be done at minimal or no cost through a number of web sites and search engines.  Understanding what the public perception is about your business allow that business to either respond or continue listening for future public relations strategy discussions.

Contribute
By engaging its audience, a business may position itself firmly in a potential customers mind.  If a person sees a message on a regular basis, it becomes a part of their day.  The tricky part in this is that the business does not want to neither be an afterthought to a conversation nor “white noise” on the social media page.  Content is just as important as cadence and consistency.

Respond
This is the businesses advantage.  If a current customer or potential customer posts a question or comment, you are able to respond in a timely fashion.  Because you are LISTENING to the conversations, you should be well in tune with what is transpiring and where you must engage and interject or where to just let conversations continue organically.

If a business is able to be active in all four of these aspects, regardless of what social media tool or tools are selected, then that business has positioned itself well to connect with its target market.

Selecting your social media strategy is important, but the actually implementation and ongoing work will make or break that strategy.

Photo credit to Tourism Industry Blog

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Keith McIlvaine manages the recruiting social media strategy for a Fortune 500 company and is an avid networker.  He is a corporate recruiter, social media advisor, coach, speaker, blogger and an all around fanatic.  Connect with Keith on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or on his blog at the HR farmer.  (The statements posted on this site are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer)