The BBC’s love of Twitter is well documented, but it’s spot on the money with this article on social media for business.
Although I’m not going to summarise their article in 140 characters, I am going to try to explain why our customers are finding social media is good for their business. But what is social media? At its core, social media (or Web 2.0) is “Exchanging, discussing, sharing and building relationships on the internet” (thanks to Matt for the quote from his presentation last week).
The use of social media is fast becoming the thing to be doing for businesses large and small. The appeal of social media to our customers is clear:
- Direct communication with their customers and potential customers
- Building tangible relationships with these contacts
- Build and cement your reputation by replying to criticism and being proactive
- Listening to their customers
- The only cost is time!
Social media is still in its infancy, and businesses are still learning how to capitalise on the appeal. But like Web 1.0 before it, Web 2.0 does bring opportunities for businesses and organisations of all size.
The key is to avoid directly selling to your audience. If people want to be sold to they’ll stick on ITV on a Saturday night. Social media is about engaging with customers, building their trust, in the knowledge that’ll they’ll tell others, and spread the good news.