If you use Facebook, Twitter or other social media channels for business, you probably consider yours to be a social business. But is it?
When you post a status update to Facebook, tweet or publish a blog post, you are simply using social media tools. This is only the first step in becoming a social business, which is really what you want to be, right?
Think about it this way – when you attend a party, you are being social, correct? Well, it depends on what you do at the party. If you simply stand in the corner, drink some punch and eat some cookies, you’re being wallflower, not a social butterfly. There’s a big difference. The same goes for social media tools – how you participate determines your level of sociability, and utlimately, your success.
Let’s use Facebook as an example. If you’re a local automobile dealership posting your latest financing deals, this isn’t social, it’s sales. It’s using a social media tool in a very unsocial way. On the other hand, if you post photos of some of your staff attending and judging automobiles at the local car show, this is what social media is all about. People enjoy a peek behind the curtain to learn more about the who, not just the what of your business.
Think of your website as your business – the homepage is the front door that welcomes new and returning customers into the storefront, warehouse or garage. It’s a place where you display products, offer services and conduct business.
Now consider your Facebook page. This is the company cocktail party. This is where ties are loosened and your customers become fans of you and what you’re all about. It’s a place where you talk with them about what’s going on in your world, ask them questions about theirs and most importantly, listen and respond. Sure, it’s ok to talk a bit about your business; you do want friends and customers to know about that too! Again, simply consider how you’re talking about it and know that people on Facebook are looking for relevant and interesting content, not a sales pitch.
