One of the biggest mistakes that companies can make in social media is not ‘embracing’ the concept.
Social Media has developed into one of the biggest phenomenon’s in communication over the last few years. It has been able to do this as people have grasped the ease and simplicity of communication on-line. However, just because of the massive growth of websites like Twitter and Facebook, it doesn’t mean that businesses have been at the forefront of this development and many of them are still stuck in the old world of one dimensional communication.
Being Social on Social Media
One of the major criticisms levelled at businesses on social media is that they do not have themselves set up to take advantage of the medium. Social Media, by the name alone, is Social. That means you need to interact with people. Using computers to automate posts to the world through Facebook and Twitter is fine, but it’s not really the point. The point is to discuss/interact/give feedback to customers and get them involved in a brand, not just passive observers and consumers.
Businesses that have been able to really make the Social Media angle work for them are the ones that have actually been social with their customers. Typical things include:
- Asking questions – they can be product related, or just general – either way, they are generating some form of interaction.
- Responding – when someone makes a post on a Facebook wall, why not respond, get a conversation going.
- Making it personal and not just preaching the company line. Typically, Businesses will be interacting with individuals online and so demonstrating a personal side can humanise the company and make them more approachable.
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