Why your business must be "social"?

No one doubts that the way we communicate has changed at breakneck speed in less than 10 years. In the last 3 we have seen a social network like Twitter becoming an essential reference tool to taste the feedback from the public on any hot topic. The rapid reaction of this network users through comments and ideas on any subject, almost in real time, has revolutionized the access to sources of information that traditional media used for decades. We begin to hear the first hard voices demanding that the “feeling” of the street is not on Twitter, and there are all kinds of studies of social and cultural institutions that have been thrown head-to analyze this fascinating phenomenon.

No business owner, trader, entrepreneur or self-employed doubts that without internet presence their business does not "exist". And it looks like now this inevitably extends to social networks. The availability and easy access to a multitude of promotional tools that these communication platforms offer today also makes it virtually the first source of consumers and users queries. Social media presence has become key to building a reputation on-line that connects transparency and closeness to the customer also providing an invaluable source of information for the head of the company. Out of the many reasons we can find for a business to be active in social media, I wanted to rescue the 5 which I believe fundamental:

1) If you're not "on-line", you don’t exist:

Although at a particular level we feel more or less inclined to participate in social networks, today’s methods to share and communicate rely on them. These networks have increased the frequency and volume with which we are able to develop new relationships, find information and talk to a wide community of contacts. They have heavily impacted on the way in which individuals interact socially, emotionally and psychologically. In the mids of such sociological and cultural change we are facing, these modes of communication have changed the way we do business.

It will be tough from now for a company to survive without the "social factor". If you do not communicate online (informing your clients and contacts, educating, entertaining and converting new clients into "partners") you run the risk of becoming a dim memory of the past. Your professional connections today need to be fed of firsthand information about you and your business, about what you do and the influence you will have on their lives.

2) Social networks are the new generation of "word of mouth" marketing:

And we all know that there is no better and more reliable promotional item than that. The most people with the desired profile we can reach, the most likely for them to become customers and "promoters" of our brand. Our sphere of influence is the people in and around our business we interact. There will always be individuals having greater influence on their environment so we must invest a little time to know them, to observe and learn how to attract such audience. When we get to develop a relationship with these key contacts we positively influence people perception and that increases our credibility in the online environment.

3) Costs are very low if compared to potential benefits:

Social networks are very cheap when compared to other more traditional marketing channels. Big brands total expenditure in these media are generally less than the cost of a simple advertising campaign. The level of return on this investment is excellent when compared to the saturation of advertising that reached consumers in recent times. Networks are much more effective to attract and motivate the client. As remarked in the previous section, we know that "word of mouth" is much more effective than traditional advertising and networks enhance this factor to generate sales and loyalty at a much lower cost.

4) Communicating through social media humanizes your brand / business:

Using marketing jargon in an environment so different from traditional media simply does not work. No room for that in networks because users establish a closer relationship, more transparent, where an advertising language "squeaks". Company and brand placement in these channels is a unique opportunity to connect with their audience on a personal level, even emotional, to create direct relationships, face to face.

5) Your competitors are already doing it!:

Every industry or market is already represented on Facebook and Twitter. It is an easy fact to check if we go into Google and type "our industry" + Facebook and observe the results. In 2011 the benefit of this social network advertising reached 3,800 million dollars and in 2012 they were over 5,000 million. Another proven fact is that 40% of small businesses that have a presence on Facebook recognize that it is their only means of promotion.

Companies are spending more and more money in advertising their brands and creating great social networks. That gives us a clear idea that these channels are actually working.

Once convinced of the importance for our business to be present in social networks it's time to consider a social media plan. Be very aware it is not an issue as simple as just “being”. To really take advantage of these communication platforms we must prepare a good strategy that will complement our traditional marketing and customer service plans. We must also allocate resources to make it work. Without a well defined "Social Media Plan", without an accurate implementation and regular follow-up of our media presence, we will easily meet with disappointing results, even counterproductive. But we'll leave that topic for a future post ...