Despite what you may believe about Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and other similar sites, they are not just for kids to hang out on playing games and sharing silly pictures. They are also very powerful business tools. Called social media (or Web 2.0) sites, these websites offer you an unprecedented opportunity to expand your business, gain new customers, and increase your profits like never before. It’s all thanks to the magic of interactivity. These sites connect you with your customers in very direct ways. Through them, you become not just a non-corporeal entity behind a computer screen, you become a real person they can talk to, get to know, and trust. People buy from those whom they trust. That’s why you need social media training if you want to really thrive in the 21st century business environment.
Make Friends First
The first and most important thing you should remember in your social media training is that you’re on these sites to make friends. People on Facebook and such do NOT want to be sold to, so leave off the overtly sales-oriented talk. It can actually get you banned from these sites, as it’s considered bad etiquette. Create a fan page for your business and use it to have friendly conversations with people who are interested in what you offer. You’ll make some good online friends who will likely become customers at some point based solely on their interactions with you. If they like you, they’ll want to buy from you, plain and simple.
Your Account Often
Next, remember to use your account often. If you disappear from your account for long periods of time, your fans and followers will stop visiting your page and business will slack off. Check in on your social media accounts at least two to three times a week, though if you can do it every day, that’s even better.
Brand Yourself
The final step in your social media training is to brand yourself. Even though you’re not engaging in direct sales talk, you can still create a logo for your company and use it as your profile picture on your Facebook, MySpace and other social media accounts. This way, people will think of your logo when they think of you, and will recognize it when it appears in other places. It’s a wonderful way to create brand recognition, which can increase sales throughout all aspects of your business.
