How should your business take advantage of social media and other channels of communication?

In today’s society where social media is king, it’s important for companies, as well as business practices, to be up to date with the latest goings-on. What that basically means is that if your brand isn’t getting its message out there via the various social media channels that exists, you may be overshadowed by the competition. The secret’s out: social media is basically a pool of potential consumers and it couldn’t be easier to get your product out there, and even taylor it to a specific audience of demographic. Some social media channels are more noteworthy than others. Social media in a way is even replacing traditional search engines.

First of all, let’s start off with one of the main social media platforms that is widely used today: Linkedin. A simple way of letting your peers keep up to date with your professional lives, Linkedin is a great way for corporate entities to keep in touch with their base and add that extra human touch that a lot of businesses seem to lack these days. For example, a lot of companies brand their products via photos, videos and infographics and presentations  – these are then uploaded to a company page and users can then comment, like and even share your content. It’s not just a case of constantly uploading files however. It’s necessary to engage your reader (and potential client) and invite them in to the discussion: What do they think about a particular product? Do they have any advice to tell? You could even organize contests (which a lot of brands enjoy doing).   Employees who also have profiles on the networking site can affiliate themselves with your company page, and also allow them to connect with other employees. Job offers can be posted on your company page, allowing potential candidates to apply directly on the website. It helps ensure that your company has a professional presence on the internet, as well as a more user-friendly presence (via traditional social media channels).

Another important online platform that you can take advantage of is Twitter. A lot of companies are still hesitant about hopping on the Twitter-train – specially in Europe –  but it’s an important step towards engaging with your audience and ensuring an online presence. It should be seen as a modern utility like phone or email. Through Twitter’s unique form of communication, you can reach out personally to consumers via hashtags or the ‘@’ reply function, thus directly answering a question or query that a consumer may have. You can also share your Linkedin content via Twitter in the form of shortened links, enabling interconnectivity between the two platforms and facilitating the user’s experience. You can also auto post your website´s blog posts to these channels in order to cut down on repeating the process throughout.

If we take a step backwards, it’s also important to note that if users are more immersed than ever before with social media, they primarily access their accounts via their smartphones. These mobile devices are now the norm and it’s rare to find someone who doesn’t own one. Your brand should also take advantage of this: Design user-friendly interfaces that will perform well on mobile devices and correctly display all relevant information pertaining to your corporate identity. Furthermore, remember that you can also take advantage of the app store by creating an engaging and exciting app specifically for your brand.

Smartphones and social media aside, remember that even just a simple website can do the trick. Compiling relevant corporate information on an easy-to-use website can really help get your brand out there, and what’s more, be found via search engines. You could even have a separate site as a blog, providing down-to-earth articles, for example financial reviews, opinion pieces, or current affairs and how they relate to your Company.