Social Media: A Powerful Communication Medium for Your Business
Social media is a powerful tool with the widest possible reach. Sounds familiar? Well, it should; but wait are you envisioning a magical wand that will grow your business overnight? Well, it’s not as if one post on Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter … etc. will have followers coming in hordes — nor will a hundred posts do that. Yet the statement is true. The importance of social media in business communication cannot be understated.
Understanding Social Media
A new form of business that has evolved recently is that of setting up a social media marketing agency in India. What led to the innovation and emergence of this new business? Well, educated stay-at-home moms who wanted to earn a buck in their free time is one but there are other bigger reasons.
Social Media has been around for decades. Friendster and SixDegrees were among the earliest social media sites. There were a few more before Twitter made an appearance in 2006 followed by LinkedIn, Tumblr, and eventually Facebook in 2005 which took the world by storm. Interestingly, Zuckerberg paid two lakh dollars to purchase the domain from the owners of The Facebook and renamed it Facebook presumably because he recognized the importance of social media in business communication even then.
The point is, social media has been around for decades but only recently has the role of social media in business communication been truly appreciated because of the speed, scale, and cost-effectiveness it brings to name just a few benefits. By communicating through social media, consumers gain information about products, services, brands, and businesses that they previously could not access. News on social media spreads faster than fire and has now penetrated almost every industry to the extent that it has earned the dubious title of new word of mouth which can be both good and bad for business — after all you only want positive recommendations, referrals, and leads.
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How social media helps business communication
Talking customers are good for business and social media allows you to get your audience talking. The trouble is social media is equally great for exposing your smallest flaw. The good news is, you can use it to generate a positive buzz about your business. Here’s how -
Connecting
When your brand is involved in community conversations, consumers view it as accessible and responsive. When you approach social media to think of it not merely as a tool to generate leads or drive sales but also as a part of your CSR. Create and promote events about things that people are talking about or interested in. Talk about things that inspire your audience and encourage them to respond. Being perceived as humane makes people feel cared for, and builds trust apart from generating awareness and recognition of your brand. While your end goal is to make a sale, social media is all about connecting with your consumer.
Campaigning
Brand promotion is all about informing, reminding, persuading, and influencing your consumer. Traditionally this involved a great deal of time, effort, and above all financial investment in events and campaigns like trade fairs, stage shows, and so on. Social media allows you to do all this speedily and at low cost with the added advantage of monitoring it in real-time.
Visualizing
Social Media makes your consumer more knowledgeable so that he can make well-informed choices. You can leverage this potential by providing your consumer with a positive and inspiring visualization not just about a single product but a complete persona of your brand. Engaging in this manner encourages new members to join your community and creates brand awareness and recognition which eventually drives sales.
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Presence
In the past, communication was limited to viewing hoardings, print media, and television. On the other hand, you, your business, and your brand can be right there with your consumers literally round the clock. One look at the two top social media channels — Facebook and Twitter — and you can see that businesses message their consumers even after hours and on weekends — and you don’t need to be available to do that yourself. Automation tools and bots will work for you while you sleep.
Social Responsibility
When you talk about brand persona, it’s not merely about your product, your company, or even your brand. It is about the ethos, logos, and pathos your brand generates. Social media has enabled people to learn about events around the world and made it easier for them to connect and help one another as well as let their friends know about their situation. Social workers and organizations alike are leveraging social media platforms to raise funds, seek aid, and connect with the public in other ways. As a brand, you should be doing the same thing — helping people manage and resolve social issues, face disasters, and more.
Social Media has taken communication to new levels. Although the role of social media in business communication is still evolving, Social Media has become an integral part of every business. Indeed it is emerging as a new form of business in that you can now hire a Social Media Marketing agency in India to handle your social media presence.
At Litmus Branding too, we have our own Social Media Marketing wing to service our clients. Call or write to us now to set up your Social Media Campaign.