Manage Social Media
by Shelly Kramer, Founder/Chief Imagination Officer, V3 Integrated Marketing
Growth for businesses today has one basic requirement: an understanding of the importance of the digital space. Customers and prospective customers typically find products or services they want to buy in one of two ways: search and referral. That means when they want to buy, they Google what they’re looking for or they ask their friends—or both.
So if your business isn’t maximizing the power of the Internet, search and social networks, how is it, exactly, that customers will find you?
How to get there? It’s really pretty simple. And, in spite of what anyone might tell you about the importance of social media, you really need to start with your Web site. If it hasn’t been updated in a few years, chances are good that it’s not working for you the way that it should. Have someone who knows what they’re doing evaluate the efficacy of your site, including search-engine optimization, incoming traffic, sites linking in, conversion forms.
The Web site is—and should be—the hub of all your business operations, so get your house in order before you start down the social media path.Web sites are for attracting leads and sales. Social media marketing is like fishing for leads and sales and putting bait on your fishhook. Once they take the bait, your goal should be to lead them to your site, where you direct them to a specific landing page, offer, blog post, etc., and ultimately convert those leads to sales. And isn’t that what we’re all really looking for—no matter what our business—leads and sales?
Once your Web site house is in order, you can explore some other key elements to effective integrated marketing strategy. One of the most important and most effective elements of marketing strategy is content marketing. What is content marketing? It’s not complicated. But it’s always surprising how many really smart people don’t yet understand how critical content marketing as part of your overall strategy is today.
Content marketing is actually not much different than some of the traditional advertising tactics we’ve all grown up with, but content marketing leverages the Web. Examples of content marketing are all around us. Content includes things like your corporate blog, your email newsletter, webinars, white papers, a Google+ brand page, a SlideShare account, YouTube channel, Flickr stream, podcast, the things you post in social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, etc.—you get the drift.
So, how do you effectively use social media channels to help reach your business goals? You can’t do it without the things mentioned above … but once you have those underway, you can get there in just four steps:
(1) Have a Web site that’s not just pretty; make sure it’s working for you.
(2) Create compelling, original content in a variety of different iterations.
(3) Concurrent with creating great content, build a presence in the social media space. Use social media channels to deliver customer service, listen to customers’ wants and needs, research, interact, share, etc. Make friends on Facebook, follow people on Twitter, connect with professionals on LinkedIn. A network won’t help you if you don’t make time to build one, so invest time in building robust networks on social media channels that you’ve identified make sense for you and your business.
(4) Use the original content you’re creating as part of the things you share in the social media space, with a goal toward building brand awareness and a reputation as a thought leader. Share your own content, sure, but avoid being egocentric. This is the most difficult thing for just about everyone we work with—companies that are both large and small. Nobody wants to hear how great you are. They want solutions to their problems.
It really is that easy. Customers and prospects have needs and problems. Meet or solve them, and you’re a hero. And you’re probably a profitable one. Using the Web, content marketing strategy and social media channels effectively is just good business. 
