There are a couple major social media mindset shifts that I feel need to occur. One of them is the notion that social media is used by angry customers to blast your business, so you better avoid “going social” with your brand to prevent negative publicity.
The fact of the matter is that people are talking about you on social media whether or not you have a presence there, so you’re better off being active and present, and directly addressing the frustrations of any unhappy customers.
Another major mindset shift is how social media fits into the overall marketing mix. More times than not, the businesses I speak with seem to view social media as an “add-on” to their traditional marketing and advertising efforts, and (frequently) an optional one at that.
Social media may be the new kid on the marketing block, but it’s a proven force in business and among consumers, and quickly becoming an expected piece of your business’ contact information.
Social media already incorporates all the standard promotional opportunities that exist with traditional media plus has many benefits that traditional marketing methods can’t touch. For example, you can modify or halt an existing campaign with a simple click of the mouse. Social media can help you out in terms of Google search. Social media can (and should) be used as a method to service your customers. And social media provides you a channel to engage your customers about not only your business but about the things they care about, too.
Integrating social media with the rest of your marketing efforts is a necessary (and inevitable) task at this point. The sooner you harness the power that is social media on behalf of your business, the sooner you’ll realize the benefits it brings to your marketing efforts, customer satisfaction, and overall brand image.
