If you are not connecting with your clients online, odds are you’re at least thinking about it. I’m frequently asked, “Should I be using social media?” To know the answer you must first ask a few questions about the most important aspect of business, your customer.
On the one hand, social media marketing requires very few resources to try out. For the price of a Flip video recorder you can post something clever to YouTube and watch it go viral. On the other hand, tinkering with social media can hijack resources and focus from your more proven marketing tactics such as direct mail or field marketing.
Before you get caught up in the social media frenzy, take a minute to get reacquainted with your customer:
- Are they online and if so, what are they seeking there? Testimonials, How To video, or something more interactive?
- Do referrals influence their purchase behavior?
- How did they find you, and will they refer a friend?
- Do they prefer to remain anonymous or will they engage in online conversation?
If you don’t have the answers to these questions, ask them first before giving up on what you already know works. And don’t forget to chat with your employees too; their online behavior may be another avenue for you to leverage social media to drive word of mouth, site traffic and more.
