| design58 | social media consultancy | huddersfield, west yorkshire, uk

Do you listen?

More than ever before there is an opportunity to be annoying and abusive by spamming, interrupting and broadcasting discounts deals and offers to people.  Don’t do it, you don’t like it when it happens to you so don’t expect your connected community to like it either.

Instead take time to listen to what they are doing and talking about online, understanding behavioral patterns is not scientific but logical human nature.  Talk to people online similar to offline don’t change to super sales person, change to genuine, authentic, helpful friend.

Listening may take time, but it’s worth it.  This isn’t a game it’s part of life so take it at your speed relevant to your business or organisation.

Someone who listens will find out far more than one who just talks online.

Using Twitter….

This post was originally added to a Linked In discussion, where someone simply asked for a little advice on using twitter effectively.

As with any network online or offline there needs to be a strategy and schedule to make the time used most effective. As with Linked In and Facebook and other social media online platforms there is a definite importance in being able to target your connected community and target audience through various search methods. This can then cut down time wasted just throwing out blanket messages by giving the ability to reach those who have an interest in your products and services.

To help define your targeting use Google Alerts http://www.google.com/alerts for daily or real-time email alerts when your specific keyword is mentioned. Aligned with this you should also use http://www.hootesuite.com http://www.tweetdeck.com to again get real time updates on keyword searches. Twitter Search http://search.twitter.com does what it says effectively where http://tweetreach.com can show how tweets and #tags are being followed. Those are some applications for making Twitter effective there are and will be more made constantly, best to keep it sustainable and effective within your schedule..

Never sell or constantly direct people back to your website with discounts, deals and offers. By being informative a twitter profile can be a resource rather than an interrupting source of spam marketing. Being informative and knowledgeable about your industry area will build trust and loyalty from followers who will then share your name within their networks.

Be personable and real not corporate and grey, Twitter provides a fantastic opportunity to communicate rather than promote. Understanding your network, audience, clients, and customers is vital and this is a perfect platform to do this. Helping a business provide what this following actually need rather than what is assumed to be needed this is a result of direct contact. Through this direct contact a business should be flexible to change and develop in line with the relevant needs.

Engaging with a network, community or target audience is the base of any social networking on or offline to build relationships that are long term not simply focused on a short term financial gain. Many people get annoyed with certain Twitter users being overactive it is quite simple to unfollow. It’s even easier to get into conversations on Twitter with real people in real time this builds relationships and the connectivity required to develop the trust and loyalty suggested above.

Never automate responses to adding followers this is the same as the faceless request on Linked In an automated thanks is corporate and grey and lacks personality. A personal Direct Message shows care and thought for the person at the other end. Also automated Tweets may save time but they also mean you aren’t there to answer in real time too, it’s a decision you have to make but don’t feel by not being there you are missing out.

Develop a schedule that provides time in chunks throughout a day when you are there doing specific things. These can change depending on time to include posting information, listening to followers, retweeting, replying and searching for specific followers. This can be done in 10 or 20 minutes chunks evenly through a day. Through experience you will find when is the best time to do these specific activities on Twitter depending on your followers and their online activity.

All these suggestions are the basics of any communication using effective technology to connect and talk with people. Although these people are part of a business they provide real contact for a customer or client. People don’t buy what you do but why you do it, when engaging and showing empathy you gain trust. It’s far easier to be genuine and authentic than fraudulent.

I have made contacts and clients through Twitter for myself and my clients. It may happen immediately but more likely it will take time to develop these relationships, be patient.

Sharing a little more conversation

We all want word of mouth referrals whether they come from online sources or offline, I personally ignore emails unless from known sources. It’s quite evident that many people have effective online networks [better than many businesses] and so these networks can share information a lot more effectively than previously.

As we move on less and less searching will happen specifically through Google [or other search engines at the front end]. Instead we will begin to have information fed on the keywords or alerts we request. How many people would even think of using the yellow pages to find a plumber but would ask friends, family, colleagues, contacts, followers? The list can be added to where relevant and with regard to whose opinion you trust and feel loyal to, trust and loyalty are very important factors in building the reputation of a business.

Whilst building reputations there is still the opportunity to link word of mouth to previous work and contacts, a recent client of mine found by being more active on Linked In he was back in contact with people he had known for 20 years. Conversations can start around familiarities, whether new or old businesses nobody should be selling products or services through any platform. Instead I would advise simply being informative about your knowledge, skills and experiences within your industry. By doing this contacts, followers or friends get to know you as a resource not a source of interruptions, discounts and deals.

There are many ways to search specifically for what we want, by building a connected community online we are able to spread the awareness of what we know and do globally. I have been doing this since 1982 simply promoting interaction, participation and viewing audience analysis based on engaging with people and developing long term relationships. By taking time to listen to those we want to connect to we are better placed to understand their needs, bringing this to conversation shows them that we respect their views too.

The important factor in everything linked to these thoughts is people not technology, by building the correct mind set to communicate effectively to the people important to your business those relationships will build whether online or offline. It is vital that it doesn’t become one or the other but working together strategically for the business to develop, always providing an approachable and personable opportunity for conversation.

Social media local, global but definitely personal.

Do you ever pop next door for a cup of sugar or to borrow a memory stick or spare mouse? I have shared two of those items and had them returned within the past 18 months, the item I didn’t share maybe my neighbour got in a car and drove to buy who knows.  The relevance of community is important both online and offline and never should the two be separated.

With social media predictions for 2011 disappearing it’s worth looking now at what’s important not to you but your customer, client or contact.  The next big thing can be sorted out by those working on it naturally not those desperate to find it, when it comes along you can and will use it though. Adding value and awareness to your network or community by delivering a personal service doesn’t mean you will be glued to your keyboard 24/7 but it does mean you will have a stronger community because you listen.

Twitter is seen to deliver the parts of conversation we once had over the garden fence not too long and not too short but not needing to be whole sagas, people enjoy and need to communicate with each other.  In society today we are often on our own and this is where technology adds the benefit of being effective in connecting us to the people we want to talk to.

Communicating and talking doesn’t just mean telling everyone you walked the dog or came through the door, we never used to do that when we met people in the street by saying ‘I just came off the train and here I am in front of you.’  So why do it now, why not use the technology that’s available to add conversations where a few years ago it wasn’t possible or where you had to send a fax, letter or make a phone call.

Social media is changing the way we communicate simply through the technology we use, the most important aspect of communication has and will always be people.  Don’t be convinced by someone that they can re-market talking they can simply give you the tips and techniques to make it effective.

Through Facebook, Linked In, Twitter and many other online platforms we have the opportunity to reach communities and networks to engage with future and existing customers.  This doesn’t mean the end of print; it does mean you can spend less on printed marketing as you are better able to define who you may want to send printed information to.  This could be local or global, why should a small independent retail shop in a small town simply sell to the public of that town?  They can do this for the benefit of the people within the town but also for those outside travelling distance they can provide a global sales service. The Ecommerce may actually underwrite the retail outlet and make it possible to provide both.

This positive approach to independent retailing may not save every business but it is something that many businesses should look at.  It also delivers the importance of a personal service whether that’s answering a mention on Twitter, responding to a comment on Facebook or simply delivering something through the postal network that was purchased online.

The people we are connected with on a daily basis are all in some way or another going to be online within the day, by building a strategy with a schedule and policy for social media we can all engage and strengthen the relationships we already have by using the technology available.  It takes patience but relationships are not as easy as simply clicking connect, follow or like. Always remember its people that are important not numbers or technology, because those people you engage with will engage with other people.

Social media and customer after life

What happens to your customers or clients after they have bought your product or paid for your services, are they part of your network or community? The afterlife we are considering is seen as after sales when many businesses relinquish connections with the customer or client.

This after life is becoming more and more influential for businesses.  Effective use of the internet and social media chanels by customers means a happy customer is more likely to be talking about your product or service online, even if that is by simply liking your Facebook page .

Most businesses will tell you they get business through word of mouth, by keeping connected with your  customers and clients online with an active after service this creates trust and loyalty as well as developing an ongoing  relationship with the customer.  With most people active online, [ 60% of web users visit social network sites ,  Social Networking Watch has more posts in this field] all day everyday people are connecting with friends locally and globally sharing information, links, likes, fans, friends and followers.

As a business your product or service will be shared online, you can check this through Google Alerts and other services delivered through Google as well as at sites like www.socialmention.com .  This whole aspect of customer service and after life is excellently discussed and written about by Josh Bernoff in his latest book ‘Empowered’ .

It would seem only logical that a business not only delivers a service but also trys to sustain lasting relationships with its customers or clients. This could be seen as a premium customer service, not at all it should be the default customer service. In the long term this customer base will connect you with their network and then thier friends networks, people in these networks are not only active but experienced in the way they use technology to deliver information.

Sharing information in this way with people we trust has far more reliability, there is no need to do anything other than be you.  People want personal service and by providing this you can develop a long term relationship to benefit  your business rather than losing contact with your most valued asset a customer/client who is happy with your product or service.

If you have any thoughts on this subject, or if you know any examples businesses and relevant information that may help other readers please leave a comment below.

Thanks
Mark Longbottom