As more people turn to the web for information and connections, they expect the companies and people they’re looking to interact with to be there. Whether they’re looking for an address and phone number, a way to get discounts or just an answer to a quick question, people are more relying on the web – and social media services – to get them the information they need when they want it. If you or your company doesn’t yet have plans in place to use social media and the web – you’re likely missing out on valuable traffic and sales opportunities.
Social Media Strategies Are Useless
Dozens of people on the web will try to sell you on the values of developing a social media strategy – don’t buy it. Building, developing and implementing a social media strategy on it’s own is useless: social media should be used to enhance existing plans, not replace them. Your company likely already has the right plans in place for communications, growth, marketing and customer service, amongst others, so why would you throw away all of the time and money spent perfecting them? Tommy will work with you to adapt your existing plans to incorporate social media – a plan that will better integrate your brand with the web, resulting in a more organic, natural and long-lasting social media implementation. Once there’s a plan in place, Tommy will then work with you to implement these new plans, training you on how to maintain them without Tommy’s ongoing help.
Not Everyone Needs A Blog
Sure, a presence on the web is becoming a requirement for any business these days – but just as not every business needs a cash register or a fancy neon ‘open’ sign, not every business needs a blog. Perhaps your web presence should be a static site with a fully interactive message board. But then, maybe you’d benefit more from a regular twitter feed, a live webcam and a YouTube channel, instead. Your business isn’t from some sort of template – it’s unique – and your social media use should reflect that.
The Bits And Pieces
Because every business, strategy and implementation is different, here’s a quick look at some of the parts that might make up your social media plans:
- Facebook – The largest social network on the web will likely play a role in any plans – though not always. Look to Facebook for socializing around your business using pages and events.
- Twitter – Built around short, instant, regular updates, Twitter is a simple, easy way to connect with people who care about your business, and the always-fresh nature of the service makes it a great way to share links and keep up with your customer’s lives.
- Photo Sharing – Flickr and Picasa are probably your two go-tos, here. Implement a photo sharing plan if your business revolves around anything visual – that includes things you can see AND touch.
- Audio – Maybe static audio on the web is your thing – and maybe it’s not. Podcasting is a great way to keep your customers engaged, but keep in mind that it’s a recurring workload.
- Video – YouTube may be king, here, but there are dozens of alternate services, too. Video is a great way to get your message out – if you can keep the production (or entertainment) values high. It’s also super-easy to share and – unlike audio – can be created once and have lasting effects.
- Music – The web is FULL of musicians: stand out! Yes, creating a profile on MySpace is pretty much a requirement, here, but there are dozens of other things you can do with your music online. Start with a DRM-free, full-length, openly-licensed track and build from there. Apple’s in the game, too, with iTunes and Ping – do your research before jumping into that direction.
- Location Services – With Foursquare leading the way, location-based services are very quickly gaining momentum as the next hot thing on the web. Got a physical presence in the non-digital world? Think about these as a way to connect the online and offline worlds together.
Lost? Tommy is ready, willing and able to work with you in adapting your existing strategies to add a social media kick to them. Whether it’s a simple question or a request or a long-term project, please get in touch and start the conversation.
Tommy Vallier helps groups, individuals and businesses understand how social media tools can be used to their fullest. He is also a community builder and web developer living in Kingston, Ontario.