Social media is changing the way we create, publicize and report on events. In light of Facebook, it’s now possible to raise awareness about a particular event through social networking tools, take bookings and raise awareness via Twitter and other such social media.
Essentially, this is still an elective process, but with social media exploding in popularity, it has become a route few can afford to ignore.
Does social media represent a genuine opportunity for small businesses — or are we in danger of falling victim to yet more hype?
Wayne Smallman, FSB member, founder of web design and development consultancy Octane Interactive and author of The Beginner’s Guide to Social Media, says:
Be careful about being too candid, entering into heated and bad-tempered debates and arguments, or making disparaging, negative and very public comments about clients, as well as other people. Unless you’re absolutely certain of the people in your social network, apply the ‘mother rule’ – would my mother be offended if she read this?
Recent research has consistently concluded that building an effective relationship with your customers is the foundation on which every other component of your business is built.
Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms are now very sophisticated. However, businesses often make the mistake of using these applications to replace their existing customer service function, instead of using these systems to supplement and improve them.
“It’s not so much the technology that’s helping per se, it’s the willingness of sales and marketing staff to populate and use their CRM software that helps most, not the technology itself.” says Wayne Smallman, director of internet marketing company Octane Interactive. “CRM is just a crutch for our sieve-like memories, really. In a similar fashion, the best tools in the world are nothing without the knowledge to use them correctly.”
“If possible, get to know your customer on a personal level,” says Wayne Smallman. “That’s key. People buy into people long before they buy anything from them. Essentially, what we’re talking about here is trust. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Don’t fail to do it, or do it late. Do it when and how you said you were going to. Of course, you can’t always stick rigidly to a plan, but demonstrate that you are at least working towards accomplishing that. Be transparent about your services, what you do and how you do it. The very moment a client has any serious doubts, there’s probably no doubt at all in their mind that they ought to be looking somewhere else.”
Marketers who are new to using social media for customer interaction have been given the abbreviation SPICE to help them maximize their use of the medium. In a Fresh Business Thinking article, Wayne Smallman created the abbreviation, which he said stands for Support, Publicize, Integrate, Control and Enhance.
Social media websites and networks can be used to support and publicize a company, while firms should also take care to integrate social media within marketing, Mr Smallman explained.
Ford Test Drive Social Media, Avoid Head-on Legal Crash In an attempt to avert a “potential PR nightmare” Ford Motor Company read the social media signs and avoided a head-on legal crash, where their reputation would have felt the full force of the collision.
Sure, it’s a given Ford would have won the legal battle, had things gone that way. But in winning the battle, Ford would have risked losing the social media war. And on the web, the survivability of a brand is all to do with winning the hearts and the minds of the very people you’re appealing to.