I was recently told by a business owner that he sees no value in social media and that it’s not increasing their revenue, so why do it.

Well, I, on the other hand, believe that there is an immense amount of value in social media.  Here’s the deal:  just because you have a Facebook and Twitter page does not mean that customers are going to be banging down your door. If you are not effectively engaging your followers through social media, then my business friend is right – social media has little value.

Lousy social media, Lose customers
A study from Kiss Public Relations shows that more than half of respondents agreed that if a brand is not present or active with its social media, it would reflect negatively on the company.

More studies done by Mobstac and the Pew Research Center revealed:

• More than 74% of adults use social media outlets (Pew Research Center)
• 78% of consumers rely on social media to guide their purchase (Mobstac)
• 41% of people said that they purchased an item because they just happened to see it, and they weren’t even looking for it (Mobstac)

Alright, enough of the stats. Let’s dive into how to make your social media presence shine.

It’s Not all About You
Social media originally began to create conversations. Think of it as an online cocktail party.  Your followers do not want your sales pitch. It’s not all about you. It’s about them. Engage them.

They want to:

• Be heard
• Know that you are listening and that you care about them
• See relevant information about your industry on your social media channels
• See your employees having fun
• Know that you involved in the community

If you are a smoothie shop, post nutritionist recipes, relevant news about eating healthy or ways that you can sneak greens in their toddler’s mac -n-cheese.

Patience
It’s all about building relationships with customers. When you engage and listen to them, they will value your company. This does not happen overnight. Keep at it and continue to engage with your followers. That value will then result in an increase in revenue. It’s a road built on trust and loyalty.

Success
Last year, Just Fab tied social media to their website in a campaign called #JustFabWish. The company asked its network to browse their online collections and Tweet their wishlist link with the hashtag #JustFabWish for a chance to win the outfit. The e-commerce company generated attention for the campaign with an email blast sent to millions of current members and leads. They registered a 140% increase in web traffic and 240% increase in revenue from Twitter.

Maintaining an engaging social media platform is a lot of work, but it is extremely effective. In my next blog, I’ll share some tips to help you effectively manage social media and cut through all the noise.

I would love to hear your success or frustration with social media. Please share your story!