Socialize Online and Boost Your Business

Thebestof team have preached long and hard about the power of social media in business; however, all too often this great advice is ignored and not implemented, as too many business owners struggle to see how socializing online can boost their business.

As the social media manager for Blue Fusion Studios Ltd, I can honestly tell you that social media is a HUGE benefit to your business.

In this blog, I’ll explain why social media is so important to business owners, why it’s important not to ignore social media, how to get started and how to grow your online profiles.

Why is Social Media Such a Big Thing?

I could quote user figures for each of the big platforms, but frankly I don’t think that figures alone will be enough to sway you into action.

Social media is a big thing because it’s so important to your customers. They will be using social media sites such as Twitter, FaceBook, Google+ and LinkedIn every day, and you are missing out on a huge opportunity by not engaging with online conversations.

Social media has become integrated into our personal daily lives, and with the right strategies, you can also integrate it into your professional working life too.

Most importantly, social media is the new form of ‘word of mouth’ marketing, and if you are not engaged in social media, how will you know what your customers are saying about you?

What if I Ignore Social Media?

Recently, a trending topic in the UK caught my eye. The topic of conversation was ‘bad restaurants’.

Immediately, I winced, as I knew hundreds, if not thousands of food vendors were currently being slated online. I wondered how many of these businesses were on Twitter, and how many of them knew they were being branded as a bad restaurant.

IF I were a restaurant owner, I would have been keeping a close eye on that trending topic, looking to see if my business was mentioned in any tweets. If my business had not been mentioned, I would have been relieved.

However, if my business had been mentioned, there are things I could have done to ‘turn a bad situation into a success’ to quote social media advisor Mary Collins from thebestof Droitwich.

Say my business had been branded as a bad restaurant, I could immediately tell which Twitter user (or users) felt negatively about my services. I could instantly react to this statement, and attempt to rectify the problem.

With one or two tweets, I could have apologised to the Twitter user, and offered a free meal for four as an apology. This could be done publicly, allowing other Twitter users to see that I cared about my customers. I could have asked them for their contact details, allowing me to discuss the problem in more detail and to offer a resolution privately.

In a nutshell, there are lots of ways I could have responded to any online negative comments; preventing any more bad word of mouth online, and turning a bad situation into a blinding success.

Start Your Social Media Profiles

Getting started with social media is incredibly easy. It takes literally 60 seconds to create a new Twitter account.

FaceBook takes a little longer to get going, but is still pretty simple to use. (Make sure you create a FaceBook Page and not a personal profile – FaceBook Pages are for business use, and personal profiles used for business purposes can ultimately lead to the deactivation of your account!)

Take the time to update your social media profiles, and put in lots of information. Whenever possible, use head shots for images as opposed to business logos.

Google+ is the latest social media site to be launched, and it’s generating a whole lot of interest from businesses and customers alike. Google+ is developing an entirely new relationship between social media and SEO, and it will be interesting to see how Google+ benefits businesses.

You can get started with Google+ by following this simple guide: http://www.bluefusionstudios.co.uk/blogs/Getting-Started-with-GooglePlus

Increase Your Audience Numbers

Social media allows you to add a personal touch to a commercial conversation. Time and time again we are told that ‘people buy from people’. The more commercial you are online (the more you try to see your services or products directly) the more you will put your online audience off.

Instead, try to mix it up.

a) Use personal references (such as what you are doing, feeling or thinking) in your Twitter and FaceBook posts.

b) Actively engage with your audience every day – Talk to people about what they are doing and start a conversation.

c) Post up information relevant to your industry and your audience – Establish yourself as an expert in your industry and entertain your audience with posts and links from third parties.

If you would like more information on how socializing online can boost your business, simply contact Blue Fusion Studios today, and we’ll be happy to help you.

Blue Fusion Studios Ltd is a web design and development company based in Bromsgrove offering a variety of online services, including domain registration, hosting, SEO, social media and so much more. Simply visit http://www.bluefusionstudios.co.uk to start crafting your online presence.