There are still many companies out there today that have not taken that next step in creating a Facebook or Twitter profile. Perhaps there is a reluctance since these mediums are so new compared to other more “traditional” forms of marketing such as telemarketing or direct mail.
Why is it important for a company to set-up a Facebook or Twitter page?
First off, consider the audience – There are over 1.3 billion users of Facebook and over 600 million Twitter users (source).
With such a large audience at your fingertips, why not use these platforms to increase awareness, loyalty, reputation and customer service. On top of that, acquisition of new customers can be attained if the approach is executed properly. Over 40% of consumers expect a quick response to their complaints through social media.
Improve Customer Service/Reduce Churn
It is simple business knowledge that you have to respond to your customers’ complaints and ignoring them will only lead to damaged reputation, we can’t forget the fact that it will also erode your client base. Any marketer knows that increasing the lifetime of existing customers is much less expensive than acquiring new ones.
Setting up a Facebook or Twitter account isn’t about posting links to funny YouTube videos of cats playing a piano – it has to start with relevant content, frequency and appealing call-to-action – that relates back to your company or brand.
Some examples may include Facebook only offers – which can be measured the same way older forms of marketing. Before you do that though you want to increase your number of likes.
Importance of Engagement – Drive New Sales
Engagement through social media also can translate into new customer acquisition.
Here is an example for you. Let’s say your company sells business data for marketing purposes. Why not search Twitter accounts for profiles which are related to “Sales Coaches” or “Business Coaches” and proactively engage them?
The approach would be complimentary in nature and a simple retweet of these individuals’ posts can go a long way for your company. They could very well return the favour and retweet an interesting and informative article you have published – and that’s where things get interesting!
Another form of engagement is seeking out those that are tweeting keywords or hashtags that are relevant to your product or service. For example, someone who is Tweeting “House Hunting” or “Home hunting” would be of interest to a moving company. Why not approach them – wishing them good luck and providing a link back to your “contact us” page on your web site?
