subject: How can I use Social Media for business? Courtesy of TiYo [print this page] How can I use Social Media for business? Courtesy of TiYo
Reward loyal customers...Through social media, companies can not only run promotions more frequently and easily but it can also help devise more creative and engaging campaigns. You can ask your followers what rewards or incentives they would like to see.
Research what people are saying about you.. A quick Google search for remarks on your company can harvest a massive insight of 'real' information concerning your perceived reputation. If there is a particular area in your business that is not performing well and this is noted in remarks' it can give you an opportunity to put it right.
Interact with dis-satisfied customers in a timely fashion and address the issues constructively. Although you may not want to see negative comments or complaints, you can use it to your advantage and turn it around by successfully dealing with the problem publically. Other followers and customers will see this and perhaps place your higher in their estimations. The reason for addressing complaints as soon as they are brought to your attention should minimalize the possibility of negative 'word of mouth' comments to others. Remember Social Media is around 24/7, it does not shut down outside of normal working hours.
Do not be overly defensive... Harsh criticism of your business on some sites can not only hurt your self-esteem but also hurt your livelihood. But do not lash out in public and always stay professional.
Keep customers in the loop with updates and company news and events. TiVo can help your customers keep track of your latest company status. Be open and talk about things that may be of interest to your followers.
Use the Internet to search for prospective customers... A quick keyword search can help you find potential customers who may not be aware of your company, but could benefit from your product or service. By typing in a sentence to Google strongly linked to your services can retrieve possible customers who may have previously asked an associated question on the Internet.
See where your customers are. A growing number of social networks are designed specifically for users on the go, and some, such as the mobile application Foursquare, offer tools specifically for businesses. Companies can use Foursquare to gather data on how many people visit their locations or chains and target them as 'hot' customers to send additional promotional offers to these frequent customers.
Allow customers help each other... Incorporating a customer forum or social network profile can help enhance your customer service while building a sense of community. If your business is for example involved in supplying building contractors this 'pool' of clients can use your website as a platform for discussing their work and favourite products whilst helping to generate business at the same time.
Tiyo (This is You Online) is a service that enables users and companies to manage, receive advice on, and grow their online presence in a way that is rewarding. The company was formed in 2011 and has the strong backing and involvement of experienced social media experts who want to give the companies involved, control over their own marketing. Tiyo is focused on providing analytics and a wide diversity of potential leads for their customers, and aims to provide industry based high income individuals as well as lower income individuals.
Tiyo's concept has been described as ''A Social Media Management system in a box''. The system is being released Mid 2011 but in the meantime visit us on Facebook to learn more, when viewing us on Facebook hit the 'Like' button to keep informed!
