7 Factors Businesses Should Follow While Using Social Media

At times the thought of incorporating social media into the everyday business plan can be a fright for some companies, especially smaller ones. There are some instances when, if not done correctly, social media efforts can fail, but, if carefully planned and executed in a timely manner, social media can in the long run show improving numbers in company sales, impressions, increased consumer satisfaction, and brand awareness.

Listed are some factors that have proven to take a social media plan to its highest peak:

1. Businesses should be concerned more about consumer engagement and not numbers
When it comes to trying to gain more consumers to "Like" or "Follow" the company's social media sites, they have an eye for who's genuinely trying to sell them something and who's actually interested in informing them about their quality products. A huge mistake companies usually make come with trying to get as many consumers in a given time to join their social networking pages. By doing this, the company is pushing out one of the most important factors in gaining the interest of consumers, engaging with them. When a company engages with consumers, you are building trust and consumer loyalty for the brand and company. After the consumer has gained trust, they will also feel comfortable enough to inform others about the company and its products/services. Once the company gets the hang of engaging with large numbers of consumers, it will then notice more consumers will begin to follow its social networking pages, inquiring on what the company has to offer. Consumers will see the company isn't targeting them for money but for a friendly bond.

2. Hire a social media guru
Social media is like an art form. It takes time and effort to mold it into the perfect shape for others to find it fascinating. Given that businesses are in constant competition with one another, companies often times find themselves putting pressure on or rushing their social media manager to grow the social media pages as fast as possible. Slow down grasshopper! The social media manager knows what they are doing, if you took the time to hire one with qualifications. Make sure when the company is ready to set in place an area to include social media into the plan, you take the time to hire a social media guru who knows all the ropes and in-between to giving the company the upper-hand in social media. Building social media does take time, so make sure not to rush the social media manager, only time will tell how valuable and effective your social media guru really is.

3. Always update social media
Nothings worse than a company that has taken the time to make social media pages and never seem to update posts or tweets. Social media never stops, why should you? That's no way to build company or product awareness. Social media is customer service, if a user asks a question and don't respond right away, that's a missed sale.  If you show laziness to consumers, that's exactly what you will receive, consumers that are too lazy to view and purchase your products. Social media is here for you to advertise for free what your company is about, take advantage of it! Sometimes, companies are surprised at some of the information they provide on social media sites and the large amount of feedback they receive from it. Make sure the company puts their social media pages to work and reap the benefits from them.

4. Set in place the target audience, and let them know how you can help
Does the company make products that are meant for everyone? No! So don't try to cater to everyone on the company's social media sites. While writing up the social media plan, define the target audience. This will help the company determine the type of content that would be used on the sites and what types of consumers they will engage with. By doing this, you are saving the social media manager and company the headache of engaging with consumers who have no interest in what you offer at all, saving time and effort, and saving on missing possible sales. Once the target audience is set in place, make them feel like the cream of the crop. Show them that they aren't just a money sign stamped on your social media page, but that the company also has great products/services to offer them as well. This is where coupons, sweepstakes, contests, and sales play a huge role in the company's social media efforts.

5. Make your social media profiles shine
Have you ever visited a company's website that was fabulous and on that website they encouraged you to join their social media pages, then once you did the page is as dry as the Sahara! Companies have to put in just as much effort to amaze consumers on social media sites as they do with the company website. Given that majority of consumers will tend to visit the social media site more often than the actual website, the company has to make those pages shine. Incorporating a marketplace on those sites will prove to be even more beneficial, as consumers won't have to leave the social media page to order products.

6. Content means everything
Social media puts those long, boring English classes to work. Write, write, write, and do it right! Content means everything to consumers. Yes, it's true, consumers can be won over using the right words. Being a bore won't get you the score. Interesting content like images, videos, blogs, stats, etc. is the type of content that encourage consumers to be more invested in the information the company is providing. With content comes grammar. Show them you care by actually spelling words correctly, using correct grammar, and using complete sentences. Consumers love buttons like, ""Follow", "Like", "Download", and "Buy", simply because the company is making it easier for them not having to search through content to find what they want, your products to purchase!

7. Incorporate your social media pages onto the company website
Companies usually receive random traffic to their websites, make sure to tell those fellow consumers to also look for you on social media sites. By doing this, the company is adding value and recognition to the brand. You are also showing the consumer that you have the ability to cater to them and their likings by being other places they may use more frequently. With that, the company also have more opportunities to provide different information on social media sites than that of their websites, this too can add to consumers joining the company's social media pages.

Social media is engagement that usually only happens through the permission of the consumer wanting to know more about a company. With that it is the most effective way to engage people and receive measurable results, so make it worth the time and efforts. Following these 7 criteria will help the company develop a platform, client acquisition, increase sales, and better brand awareness.