The Most Important Social Media Decisions to Make
Social media has been around for so long everyone should know how to use it. Or so it may seem.
However, the sheer variety of the social networks, as well as misinformation regarding them perpetuating the web, makes leveraging it correctly more than shooting buttons at random.
Things you need to decide prior to starting a social media campaign
Do you need it at all?
If you’re a consumer-centric company, there’s no question. 74% of adults in the US use social media on a regular basis. You need it, ASAP. However, if your customers are other businesses, you might limit yourself to LinkedIn and Twitter. If your customers are government organizations, you probably don’t need social media at all. Many companies that have been awarded with government contracts (listed at USASpending.gov) don’t have a social media presence. Those who do leverage it to attract young talent, and some don’t at all.
Platform
We already scratched the surface of this question above. Do you realistically need all of the platforms? Facebook is notoriously picky about showing your posts on somebody else’s Wall, but it might be a good deal if you know how to go viral. Twitter can help you reach followers more directly. LinkedIn can establish you as an important voice, but tumblr and Pinterest accounts can help you reach a younger, design-centric generation.
You need to have an idea of the sites’ respective visitor base and the sort of people you can reach at a given social network. This social media usage fact sheet should give you a good idea. For example, Twitter users are generally young adults, and there are more males on Twitter. Facebook users are more trusting and use the platform for private needs (as is understandable), so they are a likelier candidate for a local business or a company offering bespoke services.
Dealing with complaints
Social media offers ways to deal with complaints before these problems go out of hand. Twitter is the go-to social media for customer support accounts, as tweets are easier to monitor and can be searched for your company name. It applies to other social networks as well, although most Facebook statuses are private. Social media is the place where motivated employees can show that they really care about your customers and promote brand awareness. What you should do is decide how much customer support you can move to your social media accounts, and which ones should be monitored the most.
Conclusion
For many sorts of businesses, social networks aren’t necessary at all. Choosing the platform(s) is of utmost importance. In addition to pushing your content, social media empowers you to talk to your customers directly and solve any problems they may have with you.