The Social Disease

I'm going to spend some time probably preaching to the choir, but here it goes anyway...BE SOCIAL. Your company depends on you being a part of social media. Do you have a Facebook or twitter account for your business? If not, get one or both. Another great one is LinkedIn. If you have clients or customers, it's important to stay in the know. If you're looking to broaden your clientele, social media is a great avenue to do it. Unfortunately, it's not enough to have a powerful website. So, you have to put the extra time into maintaining a social account of some sort. I know...one more thing on your list, right?

WHY WHY WHY...
There are many benefits to having and maintaining a Facebook account, for example. It's great to start conversations with current clients or "friends". It's also good to see what people are already saying about your company. When doing this you'll have to "eat the hay and spit out the sticks" as a friend of mine puts it. In other words, look for constructive criticism about your company; things that are good and why they're good, or things that need improvement and why. Opinions put out by people based upon their emotions are the "sticks" to spit out...figuratively speaking. Those opinions are not solid and can change on a dime with their emotions. You can look for those opinions. My advice on handling those is to make a good contact with the person, encouraging them that they are a valued customer. It's amazing what a good word will do in those cases.

Another benefit is that people can get a sense of who you are...the informal you. People always find it easier to do business with someone they feel they know pretty well. You don't have to put your whole personal life out there, after all, this is your business page we're talking about. People just need to see your business in a more social, informal light.

Lastly, it's a great way to get information out whether it's sales promotions, campaigns, etc. Let your "valued customers" in. People will feel like part of an elite club regarding your business. People like to feel special like that.

The list of benefits goes further, so be sure to be social. Don't be a corporate wallflower, your company depends on it.