Social media sites were designed with the main aim of providing people with an online 'connection' to their social circle. These include Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook was originally designed solely for college students however opened up to the wider population in 2006. It allows picture 'tagging' whereupon shared photograph albums can 'tag' friends, and making the picture appear in the friend's page, it allow private messaging alongside an instant 'chat' service, alongside providing several apps including games. Myspace, while originally a general social media site, has largely become the home page for the music industry, allowing fledgling bands to add fans as 'friends' and share their news and music. Twitter allows 140 character 'tweets' to share opinions and is heavily used by celebrities to share opinions with their fans and friends. Finally, LinkedIn is a career networking site, where people can share their CV with their business network.
Each of these sites has its purpose for businesses. Whilst some argue that joining these sites could invite negative comments from users, the key to remember is that users may post negative comments online regardless of whether the business itself is online. By becoming part of the conversation however, you can respond to these comments, or try to use them to improve your service. Additionally, you can add the positives about your business to the conversation. Some businesses have been shocked to be actively defended by their users in response to negative comments. By becoming an online social media presence, you can share a more personal service with your users, and marketing can become one to one. This kind of opportunity is a rare commodity.
Over the next few posts, we'll explore how each of these sites can provide benefit to your business.
