You might think social media has little or nothing to do with your business. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Social media will change your business. This week we’ll examine what your competitors and customers already know. You are either in the game or you are outside the stadium. There are no other positions to play.
Unless you live under a rock you have heard rumblings about Facebook, My Space, Twitter, YouTube and other sites. You might be clueless about what they do and what they can do for you. That will change this week. Blogs are no longer confined to whining about life or sharing something personal. Facebook is not for college students any more. And video sites draw more viewers than traditional television networks. If this surprises you, wait until you hear how they will work for you!
Blogs used to mean the ramblings of people writing an online journal, or political speech rants, people seeking recognition, or people building an online community around a common interest. Blogs are part of doing business every day in 2011. For instance, you’re reading a blog written by a business owner who shares information about running a small business. If I need to find more customers, using my blog is one way to attract new customers. You can do the same thing.
Rather than bore you with statistics that you won’t remember, think about this: Most people are reading and or writing a blog for their business. The people get information they want from online sources, including the use of Social Media mediums. Information is available to more people, and customers, than ever before. If you seek more business, you must use these new-fangled means of communicating with people! After all, your competitors have an online presence.
Let’s address the fear factor: you don’t need to be afraid. You think you can’t write? Find someone in your organization who can write clearly and effectively. The truth is that blogs have different writing styles and voices. However, if you are serious about attracting new business and you can’t string three words together on paper, you might want to pass the writing job to someone who can write. If you need to, hire someone to write for you. Blogs are not novels or annual reports, the fee for a writer who can say a few words each week will be manageable. You probably have at least one person in your business who can communicate well. Ask. Part of the process is having a passion for sharing about the business, which means someone might be willing to tackle the job.
The next thing you need to ask your self is this: what are my company goals? What do I want people to know about? You can’t just begin a blog with no point to it. Well, people do, but you’re a business owner, not a college student. Decide upon your message and what the long-term agenda is in communicating about your company to the public. This is the same process you need to use in purchasing advertising. You don’t place an ad that says nothing. Your blog has to offer something as well. Remember, in the past you controlled your advertising message and the audience for it. Now, you have lost some of that control. In order to offer a consistent picture of your business, you have to communicate directly to potential customers through a method they use and understand.
View this brave new world as an opportunity to attract more business or deliver your message to potential customers by using your wits and knowledge. No one knows more about your business than you do. Why are you in business? What do you offer people that they need or want? How is what you do different from someone else? Is there a unique feature to your business that is overlooked? These are the stories you want to tell in a public venue. Whether you are a caterer, retail store or a consultant, tell people what you can do to solve their problems. Next time we’ll look at what some of the big boys do with their blogs.
Have a terrific day!
Patricia
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