Josh Spiro of Inc.com guides readers through the maze of using social media in business, pointing out that many companies fear they can't keep up with their customers with so many new social media platforms popping up all the time.
Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing - How Smart Companies Get People Talking, comments: "That stress causes companies to panic about social media and not invest their time wisely."
Gina Bianchini, CEO of the Palo Alto, California-based social network Ning, says the answer is to focus on where the customers are, advising that "if a company has customers congregating on certain social media platforms, it's a good idea for that company to know how and when to interact with their customers".
Sernovitz advises companies to be "fast followers" rather than pioneers, waiting until it's clear they're being discussed on a particular social medium.
Calculating a return on investment isn't straightforward, warns Spiro, observing: "Even though it is less expensive than other forms of marketing, social media's profitability for your company depends on what you expect from it."
Similarly, Sernovitz says you shouldn’t think of social media as a traditional marketing tool because "it's not a sales channel and it's not going to add up with a proper ROI". Instead, he advises companies to think of it more as a customer service tool.
Spiro offers three tips for using social media in business:
1) Find out where customers are rather than trying to drag them to another platform.
2) Be aware of what's being said about you on various social media platforms even if you don't join the conversation.
3) When you engage, allow the customer to act as spokesman, making your media easy to share.
A New Source of Stress: Feelings of Social Media Inadequacy
Josh Spiro, Inc.com, 10/12/09
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