Social Media a Key Component in Generating Business Growth

Today there are various outlets that a company can utilize, but it comes down to one question: what outlets make the most sense to use and attract the right clients? Do the diligence of research first, then make a decision on what outlets make sense to connect to clients. Twitter is a great use for all industries, followed by a LinkedIn company page, and last a Facebook fan page. These sites are customary to attract all customers in every industry, whether the industry is in technology, healthcare, fashion or retail.

Twitter should be used for daily communication and sourcing out well-written articles by the company on products, services or tips in the industry. Using this method will attract professionals in the same industry to understand what it is the company offers as well as answering whether or not professionals need the company’s services or products. Following your customers will also help to identify if you’re on-target with their needs and wants to better help the company’s marketing plan and goals.

Facebook should be a separate social media entity, especially helpful for recruiting and staffing firms to understand the individuals likes and dislikes. Creating a personal profile of what it is you’re looking for, whether it is finding out what they like, do, and where they’re located. It is a more interpersonal understanding of who you’re communicating to. The company’s Facebook should follow a similar model as its website, same content and identity. Answer what it is the company does, who the company is, and how it can assist in helping a client’s needs. In a quick glance, it should give a clear perception of the products and services as well as how it differentiates itself from the competition.

LinkedIn is an ideal tool for keeping a company’s CRM contacts in alignment with LinkedIn as well as creating those introductions to potential clients on a referral basis. LinkedIn is an immediate turnaround to lead its contacts to the company, and build its network of professionals for partnerships while showcasing past case studies. Case studies on LinkedIn should be up-to-date all the time with a connection to its website. LinkedIn will increase a company’s credibility in seconds at a quick glance to any interested professionals.

Other useful tools not mentioned previously are About.me, SlideShare, and Medium.com. These tools are great if there is the bandwidth for maintaining it, such as a dedicated social media professional or 3rd-pary company. Various social media tools like Instagram and Pinterest is useful for showcasing products the company offers. My recommendation is to use either or based on the target demographic. Pinterest is 70% women, so if the company is a fashion, jewelry or beauty care product then Pinterest can generate leads back to the company. Especially if a client or prospective client wants to purchase a product then a company can embed links. Direct links to the company’s products on Pinterest or Instagram can increase its users and followers by showcasing products. Images are most effective if there is a professional photographer for showcasing a company’s products.

Lastly, after creating these social media tools truthfully answer if the social media sites are brand-centric to the company and the owner of the company. The meaning of being brand-centric is identifying whether it tailors around a company’s marketing plan, short-term and long-terms goals of itself and its clients.

Tip: Social Media tools are only as valuable as you put work into it, it’s a fairly new tool to use in marketing and public relations, but with the proper knowledge and education on it then it can lead to opportunities for generating leads and referrals. In addition to the company using it, the employees and the owners of the company should brand themselves around the company for creating a personalized identity to the brand. Follow the model below for developing your personal social media accounts:

1) State your title2) In a nutshell, what is it you do in the company3) Write articles related to your title in the company for developing a network of alike-

minded professionals for tips, insight, and additional knowledge to add to the company 4) Be sure to publicly thank the individual on useful tips or knowledge 5) Provide other social links about yourself, what your past work is and how to contact you

regarding other opportunities in the industry; it may be attending events, meeting in-person at professional networking events, personally inviting the individual to the company’s event or collaborating on a project.

6) Create a reason why connecting to you is valuable

1) What is the meaning of brand-centric?a. Through understanding of the company’s values, answering truthfully is what the

company does to meet an end goal on its values and mission statement. Do you have a mission statement in-place that leads and guides the company every day?

2) Based on your social media sites and company’s website, does it answer to the company’s core brand’s mythology and philosophy?

a. Whether it is your distributers, clients, or prospective clients, is it in alignment for consistent and executable actions the company can deliver and promise?

The Mode Group spends approximately 4-hours a day in the morning on research, follow-ups, and directly communicating back to its followers and updating all of its social media sites; this is a rule of thumb. Then every 6 to 8 hours returns back to its social media websites to follow back its followers with a direct message or retweet from its followers for developing relationships to prospective clients/leads.

Contact The Mode Group for your social media needs at Inquiry@TheModeGroup.com