Going Social

Are you adamantly opposed or all in when it comes to social media? Perhaps you’re unsure how or why social networking is important to your business. If that’s the case then this week’s update was written for you.

We like to refer to social media as word-of-mouth on steroids. Why? Because the Internet revolutionized how human beings communicate with each other. Much like the printing press, the radio, the telephone, and the television, the World Wide Web transformed our ability to disseminate information.

But that’s not the point. Everyone knows referrals are the best sales leads. That’s because there is an inherent trust that comes from asking a friend what they would recommend for a particular product or service.

Unlike previous advances in communication technology, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube are building distinct online communities that increase the speed of delivery and close the distance gap more so than ever before.

According to a June 2012 article from CNET, Facebook has more than 955 million monthly active users, over 552 million daily active users, and more than 543 million monthly active users on mobile. That means most of your friends are using Facebook, and you have an opportunity to participate in the conversation.

So it’s all about generating more referrals, right? Not so fast. Every business has different goals, hopefully a unique position in the marketplace, and most certainly different demographics that define their target audience.

Just like every other element of your marketing plan, social media requires strategic planning before you start investing your precious time and money.

Generating leads, closing sales, providing better customer service, recruiting your next employee, and yes, asking for referrals are all ways in which social media can help you grow your business. The bottom line with this game-changer is you can’t win if you don’t play. Let us know if we can help.

Until next week,

Matthew Anderson, President
Milestone Marketing Associates, Inc.