It’s not as hard as people think to achieve social media success for professionals and once mastered, it can bring incredible returns on your investment.
Social media is the preferred form of communication for consumers with up to 80% of the general public preferring to connect through Facebook than through a business website. Those without business pages on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter will instantly find themselves beneath their competition, as it’s certain the competitors will.
Some people feel that social media doesn’t reflect their business well, they think Facebook is a little too dumbed down, Twitter a little celebrity driven and LinkedIn a little stuffy. The amazing thing about each of these platforms is that although they require different approaches they can accommodate and enhance the profits of any type of business.
Dispel Social Media Myths
The average Facebook user is between 26 and 35, the age where disposable income is high and financial independence is almost guaranteed which dispels the myth that Facebook is only for teens.
LinkedIn meanwhile is the biggest recruitment tool in the world, even though it’s marketed as a social network it is the preferred place for businesses to find staff and service providers as they can view CV’s, testimonials and more before even inviting them to apply. This is an ideal platform for professionals such as accountants, financial advisers or even hairdressers as it brings the business directly to you.
Claim Your Social Media Action
It’s obvious that social media can bring you more business, however to ensure success you must define a strategy. It’s not enough to set up profiles and walk away, you need to keep them active and you need to have a plan of how to fill them with fans.
A great social media strategy will increase your followers, likes or connections daily, giving you an incredible viral reach and propelling your business to success. That’s why you need to decide just how much time you’re willing to invest.
There are ways you can manage your own social media campaigns for just minutes per day, yet to ensure you encourage interaction and keeps the conversation flowing, you do need to check in regularly. This allows you to converse with your clients while they are online as waiting just ten minutes could mean that you’ve missed your chance.
Start thinking about your social media strategy, and consider these areas:
- How you would like your business to be seen – Are you fun/serious/quirky/corporate?
- Who you want to appeal to – Are you targeting locals/certain ages/certain classes/lifestyles?
- How you could entertain your visitors – Could you give great tips/share good content/amuse or enlighten?
- How much time do you have to spare?
- What you want to achieve through using social media for business.
Once you’ve made a decision on all of these, it’s time to start creating your professional profiles, before putting together a plan that ensures a social media strategy that’s consistent and clever.
