The Business Of Being Social

Ready or not, like it or not, the art of doing business is social.  Now what?

Recently I had the privilege of being interviewed by Fox News 8 anchorman Bob Buckley.  As part of a special broadcast, The Buckley Report, Bob asked me and 2 other experts about the business of social media.

Social media is not a fad, a trend or a Generation Y thing.  It’s not going away. The sooner you embrace the shift from business as usual to social business, the better.  In a very real way, social media is now the new world order.

If you run from social media, you risk loosing the confidence of your customers. Now, more than any other time, customers are demanding a “brand experience“.  They aren’t interested in what YOU have to say until you show them that you are interested in what THEY have to say.  Social media is now infused in every part of how we live, work and play.When it comes to the business of being social, there are 2 all important questions lingering in the backs of your potential customers’ minds:

1- Why should I care about your company?

2- What’s the story behind the brand?

It used to be that blind brand loyalty was a given.  We trusted the brands that we were exposed to consistently.  Now – everything has changed.

Special thanks to Today In Art for the social media artwork.

Social media includes a plethora of tools and platforms to help you create and nurture an online experience that customers can feel good about, because they do want to feel good about your brand.  Admittedly, finding the right balance between social elements and traditional marketing techniques can be tricky, especially for some industries.  I believe that it’s more important for you to first acknowledge the need for the shift to the social space and then begin considering the options that feel right for you and make the most sense for your customers and potential customers.

Don’t be quick to assume you know exactly what your customers want.  Get an objective overview to help you determine the best course of action.  This will help you avoid common false starts and missteps which can easily happen if you are plunging into the social space blindfolded with one arm tied behind your back.

If you want some help pulling your social media plans together, feel free to request a consult with me.

Simply put, being social is good for business.

How are you planning to include social media in your marketing planning?