Social Media is probably the single biggest opportunity for businesses big and small to build networks and awareness. I was talking to someone about it recently and their comment to me was "It sounds like a cult!". I guess that's because anyone who has started to seriously use social media and witness the impact it can have on their business can come across as a bit evangelical. Some of the Jargon such as 'following', 'tweeting', 're-tweeting', 'direct-messaging' etc. can also make it sound, to the average novice, that you've become part of something bizarre.
Many business owners I've spoken to have negative opinions of Social Media, having seen the amount of time some of their staff spend on Facebook vs. engaging in productive work.
So, like all things with a fair bit of hype around it, there's usually a fair amount of scepticism. You can wonder how it can deliver any real value or impact to your business.
Really the only way to get your head around it is to 'join the conversation' so to speak!
Obvious tools that most people are aware of are social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, You Tube, LinkedIn and more recently Twitter.
Social Media also refers to tools that can be applied to any website, such as live chat, forums, blogs, voting applications etc. Allowing users to engage in a dialogue, publish feedback on products or their purchasing experience, or perhaps vote for their favourite products or content gives you insight into what your customer, audience or reader wants and doesn't want.
The single most powerful thing about Social Media, apart from the fact that it's FREE, is its ability to generate word of mouth awareness and build new business relationships. It provides you with the ability to tap into large networks of like-minded individuals from your desktop any time anywhere. It also allows you to start a conversation with someone you are unlikely to ever get introduced to or meet in your normal social or business environments.
The trick to making the most of Social Media like any marketing is to only publish, relevant, interesting, valuable information and insights to people in your network. You can't just be focused on flogging your offering. Your goal should be to create a community around your business through an authentic dialogue with that community.
Social Media represents a huge opportunity for business owners but it also takes commitment. Like anything in life - the more you put into it, the more you are going to get out of it!
My top tips for taking advantage of Social Media in business are:
Be prepared to commit and engage.
Spend some time on your profile when you get started
Give info on your bio about who you are - include links to your website and/or blog and upload a photo, or any image you find interesting or amusing - it could be a photo of your dog or an image of a favourite piece of art. It all makes you more interesting to people in your network. It also means next time you are at a conference or business event someone in one of your networks is likely to come up and introduce themselves and start a conversation in real life, as they'll recognise you!
Let everyone you meet know you are a Social Media user
Respectful and appropriate behaviour is critical
Start a blog or make sure you are regularly posting to a current one
If you have a blog, let people on your networks know when you've added a new posting. A blog gives you the opportunity to share more information than you can on a social media site. It also gives anyone you are connected to or who might be 'following you' a reason to visit your site and find out more about you and what you do. You can now also embed your blog into your LinkedIn page, giving any people who look at your profile more of an idea about what you do.
Have a website you can be proud of
Engaging in Social Media will deliver more traffic to your website from people who want to find out more about you. It pays to take a good look at your site before you dive into the Social Media universe. If it still has press releases on it from 2007, it?s probably not doing you justice. Make sure your site gives people a good idea of what you do and encourages them to engage with your business somehow. E.g. subscribing to a newsletter, posting a comment on a blog, voting on something, or even better; buying something!
Engage in offline real-life events organised through your Social Media Network
Many Social Media Networks are now organising real world events allowing active networkers an opportunity to meet face-to-face. The recent Sydney Twestival (a meeting of Sydney Twitter users) was a perfect example of this with similar events also taking place in other states. Also if you are travelling interstate or overseas, you could extend an invitation to anyone in your network interested in meeting up to see if there's a potential way you can support each other's businesses.
If you put the effort in you will reap the rewards. Since I've started engaging in Social Media I've seen my social networking activities start to deliver significant traffic to my website, not to mention what I've learnt in new information and the inspiring, passionate people I've met or re-connected with.
So get started - tell us what you are doing and what you are working on.
I look forward to meeting you online!
You might be interested in this upcoming event...
Online Webinars - Starting 28 May 2013
NEW webinar series: designed to dispel the myths about social media and arm small business owners with skills and know-how to make social media a powerful force for business development and bottom line results.
Experts will present practical ways to use social media to:
Learn more about the Social Media for Small Business webinar series.
Optus is right behind the Australian Businesswomen's Network.
Communications are the life line of any successful business. The new digital economy has opened up many opportunities - and it isn't just something that benefits large business.
For small businesses the advancement in technology, communications and digital solutions opens up opportunities to reach new customers Ð whether it be through email, the office telephone, your Smartphone or the internet connection for your office; having the right technology provider behind you is essential to the success of your business.
In this new digital economy, never has this been so important for small business.
Buzz words such as the 'Cloud' and 'Cloud computing' have also become ubiquitous with this new economy butÉwhat is the Cloud? How can it benefit my business? And is it right for me?
Optus will be working closely with the Australian Businesswomen's Network to help you harness the power of these new technologies and how they benefit your business.
In June 2011, Optus launched Optus OfficeApps, a new portfolio of cloud services for Small & Medium Businesses.
Optus OfficeApps is designed for growing businesses, frustrated with how time consuming it is to manage and maintain their IT systems. It provides online email, collaboration, back up and security solutions that take the hard work out of operating a business, so you can focus more on growth rather than support. And unlike other cloud-based solutions, Optus Office Apps provides migration assistance, up to 24/7 support, as and when you need it. For more information about Optus OfficeApps, please visit optusbusiness.com.au/officeapps.
Optus is a proud partner of the Australian Businesswomen's Network and we look forward to continuing to work together to deliver members solutions and relevant information that will help grow and support your business.
To find out more about Optus Business, visit us at www.optusbusiness.com.au.
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