Part 3: Meeting Customers Where They Are.

This is 101 stuff.  Know your client base and how to reach them.  Obviously you can’t fuel your brand without defining those two items.  In this tech world, you also can’t send out a direct mail piece and expect the return on it like we once did (depending on what you’re selling – direct mail can make sense if done properly).  Inbound marketing is redefining the game.  That being said, there are dozens of online social networking platforms out there to create/boost effective outreach.  

What a company wants to make sure they get right is 1: choosing the social media tools 2: the content they distribute.

There is no way a company could be represented on every social network and it’s not necessary to be.  What’s vital is knowing who your customers are and showing up where they ‘reside.’  I’m the PR and Marketing Manager for an energy consulting firm – considering the space we’re in in and the business we do, at the moment it doesn’t make sense for us to have a company page on Facebook/Instagram/Google+.  We’re B2B sales so what has been successful for us in connecting with our customers: Twitter and LinkedIn. There are tons of social media channels out there – it does not mean you need to be tuned in to every one of them.  Choose a package of channels and stick with what works.

Note the success of your social media production is contingent on how you use and interact with your customers through the tools.  Take a look at what you’re sharing – is it value-added, is it too self-promoting, are customers engaging in the dialogue you start, etc.  If you’re not sure, poll your followers/connections asking them what they are interested in/what they’d like to see from you.

Ultimately you want your customers to see you as a  the thought leader in that space and then share it/pin it/recommend it.  You want your customers to help fuel that fire.  Fuel that love of the brand.

Next post, I want to dig more into what you can offer, in addition to your standard set of services/products, that support you being THE best, #1. What can you offer above and beyond to your customers to keep them coming back?  To get them to in turn – sell you…