The golden rules of social media for business

Why the fuss about social media?

There are still a lot of businesses without a social media presence. Some have made a conscious decision to steer clear of it. Others might not understand the benefits of using it. And many businesses avoid using it for negative rather than positive reasons. Some businesses:

1. are overwhelmed by the options and don’t know how to start
2. don’t understand the difference between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the rest
3. are worried by scare stories they’ve read in the press
4. think it will be expensive or time consuming.
5. The reality is that social networks can bring a whole new dimension to your business. In this guide we'll highlight the benefits – and explain how to make social media work for you.

10 ways your business benefits from using social media

Used effectively, social media can provide benefits to your business that you just can’t get any other way. Using social media means you can:

1. Differentiate your brand - How does one small business stand out from all the others? Use social networks to emphasise the areas you specialise in. Explain what makes you different from the rest
2. Build your reputation - Show your knowledge by posting regularly on relevant topics. Prove your efficiency by responding to client queries quickly. Happy customers are more willing to give referrals. And well-handled enquiries can generate new clients for your business.
3. Create trust with customers and prospects - Be transparent and open on your social channels. Customers need to trust you before they're ready to buy. Social networks can help you build a relationship with them.
4. Compete with larger companies - Your business might be small and you may lack the advertising budget of larger businesses. But social media can be a great leveller. It allows you to compete on equal footing with much larger companies. You can even use it to make a virtue of your size. Emphasise your focused, agile, responsive approach to doing business.
5. Attract new people to your website - Your website is probably your key marketing tool. It will contain information about your full range of services. Use social networks to draw people there – and increase your sales.
6. Keep informed about trends and news - By following other organisations in your area of business, you can keep up to date with trends, news and key information.
7. Have your ear to the ground - Two-way platforms like Twitter and Facebook let you interact directly with customers and prospects. Use these platforms to understand the services they need, and to research new ideas.
8. Increase customer engagement - Ask your customers for suggestions and improvements. Ask them what they like and dislike. They will be happy to tell you.
9. Manage your reputation - Social media allows you to respond to comments or complaints swiftly. When you demonstrate a high level of customer service, it has a powerful effect on your reputation.
10. Market on a low-cost budget - You can market your products or service directly to customers without a huge budget. But be aware that you will need to spend time doing this – so make sure you have the resources available.
    So what social media networks are out there?

Before you open a business account on a social network, learn more about each one:

1. Survey your clients to find out what networks they use.
2. Read about Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram.

Learn about social media etiquette and circulate this information to your team.
Etiquette is particularly important. Social media gives you the opportunity to reply or deal with a situation instantly. But your first response may not always be the most appropriate, so think before you act. In some situations, silence can be the most effective response.

Take a strategic approach to choose the right channels

Some companies dive in without thinking about their strategy. They open lots of accounts without doing enough background work. This approach won’t give you the best results.

Instead, put in some groundwork before opening new accounts. And make sure you evaluate your plans as time goes on. Successful businesses will:

1. Understand the different types of social accounts
   And run them in appropriate ways. For example, what works on Facebook might not be right for LinkedIn. Each network has different users and different rules for success. You need a different strategy for each network. And to think about the types of people that use each network. For example, there’s a perception that the majority of Facebook and Instagram users are female. Some research has shown there’s a certain age bracket of users for Twitter. Check to make sure that the demographics using these channels align with your strategy.
2. Evaluate your social presence at regular intervals
   Remember, not all benefits are measurable. You can count things like Facebook likes, Twitter followers and interactions that generate new business. But not all referrals will be clear. For example, you can’t quantify goodwill. And you probably won't record every request for advice that starts, “I read your tweet and thought you could help me.”
3. Be happy to take advice
   If your Facebook or Twitter account isn’t building followers or conversation in the numbers you’d hoped for, ask yourself why not. Perhaps you were too ambitious. Perhaps your approach isn't quite right. Consider paying for expert help to find out where you're going wrong – and how to put it right.