Leonardo da Vinci spent 12 years carefully crafting Mona Lisa’s smile. Those hoping to jump onto the social media bandwagon should be just as cautious with their online efforts. Despite having a lofty set of followers, you may run the risk of hindering your efforts if you don’t have a careful strategy in place, along with regular interaction with your consumers. It’s possible that your followers will become immersed in your material if it’s relatable, beneficial, and interactive.
One mistake companies make is thinking of social media as solely an advertising tool. Consumers don’t want to hear the same messages thrust out in traditional media. Followers want engaging material that sparks discussion. If done well, they will want to share this information with others.
Think of your social media efforts as a two-way street. Information should be going out to the consumer and insightful information must be coming in. Before posting material, ask yourself, will your message generate a response?
According to a 2011 IBM study, 42 percent of consumers are reluctant to interact with brands and companies on social media due to a concern for spam. Those that interact with brands need to feel a company is communicating honestly before they participate. In order to generate a response, you will have to work hard to gain trust and prove your material is related to their interests.
Before posting, take your time to jump into the shoes of the consumer and ask if the message you are sending out is engaging. According to Facebook.com, there are over 900 million objects to interact with on their site. What makes your information stand out?
For more tips, see the 9 Easy Social Media tips put together by Off The Grid News.com.
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