Now we come to the question that every entrepreneur and business owner is wondering: What can Facebook and Twitter do for my business? Can all this hard work ingratiating myself to the public ever translate into a demonstrable ROI? How?
The answer is yes, and the reasons are manifold. Social media lets customers find you, like you, trust you, and recommend you. And it lets them do these things with extraordinary speed, uncommon precision, and for free — or close to it. There has never in the history of commerce been a more effective or affordable way to grow your business.
Social Media 101
First things first. Social media optimization, or SMO, is the art and science of using interactive online tools to grow your business. Unlike the old days when marketing was largely comprised of big media buys on TV and radio, social media is not about talking at your customers, it is about interacting with them. Why is this a big deal? Because people everywhere just want to be heard, and a good social strategy can offer your customers a deep and abiding sense of value.
The Power of Facebook
Let's start with Facebook. This is the gorilla, the site that earns more page views daily than any other on the Web and boasts more users than there are people in the U.S. Facebook is good for a great many things — connecting with old friends, poking loved ones — but its potential as a business tool is unprecedented.
Simply put, Facebook is the easiest way to build a robust community around your brand. The messaging you fold into a site like this — your promotions, messages, thoughts, replies, and updates — let you engage your clients on a deeper level than anything else in marketing. Facebook lets you hear your clients' concerns, amplify their kind words, and stay active in their lives. And most importantly, Facebook lets you tap the unprecedented power of friend networks. There is no source of opinions, advice, or recommendation on the planet better trusted than our friends.
Facebook also offers a number of useful metrics for business owners, which is why your SMO expert will help you incentivize that "Like" button for ever greater rankings and traffic. But of course the process relies on substance first: you must be worthy of that attention. Great content, an irresistible online persona, and a clever rewards system can help you continuously attract new fans across the Web.
The Speed of Twitter
Twitter works in similar ways, but with one important difference: Twitter is a vehicle for dialogue, first and foremost. The service acts as a sort of mass broadcast center for tiny messages knows as tweets from people and businesses all over the world. The real draw of Twitter is its interactivity — far-flung participants can respond to one another in an instant, "retweet" posts they especially like, and tag their own tweets by topic for easy searching. They can also "follow" all messages from a specific source to ensure they always hear first when something new arises.
If you have ever used an instant messaging program such as AIM, just think of Twitter as a sort of always-on version on steroids, where anyone can talk to anyone at any time.
But do not underestimate the value of this concept. Millions of people use Twitter every minute, and companies who harness its power effectively can earn the equivalent of six-figure advertising budgets for free. Twitter lets you engage fans, bloggers, colleagues, and media outlets on an immediate and personal level. It gives you a voice and a forum to find new customers. And it offers your company an easy way to establish itself as a thought leader in your field, giving your legions of followers instant access to the day's most newsworthy items and ideas — including, of course, your own.
Social Power
Facebook and Twitter are a way to bridge the cold space of the Web and make your business less anonymous. Once any business becomes a trusted friend, customers feel far more invested in everything they do. This kind of abiding intimacy is, simply put, the hallmark of an elite brand.
A good social media optimization specialist can help you leverage the best social tools for accelerated growth in your traffic and conversions. To learn more, please contact the SMO experts of Breakthrough Content today.