Social Business and Why You Should Pay Attention
Social Business is a topic that picks up more steam each and every day. How do you take a company that has a traditional marketing mindset and turn them into a social business that is generating leads online alongside everything else they are doing?
ITS NOT JUST ABOUT MARKETING
Many people look at the internet as just another megaphone to blast marketing messages. While it offers the opportunity for that, the internet is much more. A social business needs to look at the internet as a way to conduct every aspect of your operations digitally and keep everyone on the same page and out of their silos. Your sales team probably uses a CRM of some sort to track leads and document their activities, but other areas of your business, such as customer service should have access to the CRM as well so that they follow up on current customers discussing the brand.
YOU ALL NEED TRAINING, A LOT OF TRAINING
Most people in a traditional business model have a hard time getting over the fact that social media can be used for business. They just can’t see that something that is used to catch-up and tell old college stories could be used to help drive leads. This is why everyone needs training. After your company sits down internally or brings someone in to consult on how to use social media in a way that is customized for your business, it’s time to train everyone on the plan and how to execute it. Assign roles and responsibilities and make sure that everyone is trained thoroughly and communicating across the board.
STICK WITH IT OR LOSE BUSINESS
Once your team is trained and you have your plan, you must stick with it. Becoming a social business does not happen overnight and leaders must buy into the plan that is being implemented. Making sure the program is enforced is crucial to your success. If the program loses steam and is not being enforced, your online reputation will be tarnished. When people see a company that has given up on it’s online presence, it’s like letting weeds grow in the front lawn, they will lose respect.
Becoming a social business is a long process, but will be rewarding for you and your company in the long run. Finding new leads, better customer service and more accurate research are just a few of the benefits of going down this road. Please leave a comment and let us know how your company is starting this journey or why you are hesitant.
