What Is Social Media?
This is part two of a five part series on Social Media For Your Business
- Part One: Introduction
- Part Two: What is Social Media?
- Part Three: How to Sell Yourself through Facebook
- Part Four: Social Media Essentials
- Part Five: Developing your Business Personality
Part Two: What is Social Media
Last week we defined Social Media as referring to a group of emerging online tools that enable individuals and businesses to interact, communicate and connect with other individuals and businesses.
Social Media embraces a participatory culture. This means that it is driven by the ongoing exchange of opinions and information between individuals, businesses and society; in the social media sphere everyone has a voice and actively contributes to the conversation.
Social Media enables many previously difficult relationships to be established with relative ease.
- Social Media enables global communities to be formed, spanning across many geographical, political and cultural divides.
- Social Media enables conversations to be established between businesses and individuals, hence the path to the customer more direct.
- Most importantly, Social Media enables businesses to showcase their personalities and be transparent about their practices.
How can your business use Social Media?
Social Media is not a one-way communication front. Social Media is about speaking but perhaps more importantly, listening. Using Social Media to listen to your customers and potential customers is an effective way to obtain knowledge useful for tailoring your business to your target market. It allows you to understand their needs. Showing that you are actively listening and acting upon the input of your customers and potential customers establishes a trust bond which is essential in a successful business.
Is Social Media relevant to your business?
YES. Although still new, Social Media has cemented its position in Australian culture. According to the Yellow Pages Social Media Report 62% of Australian’s regularly use Social Media.
Many Australians access social media from the first thing in the morning, and throughout the day, with many of us checking our social media as the last thing we do before we go to bed. We use it to network professionally, connecting with our colleagues. We use social media throughout our houses, from the biggest room, to the smallest. We use it when we watch television, and find that more often than not this adds to our enjoyment.
A Social Media strategy is a necessity. It is as important as having a telephone number, postal address or website. Whether it’s a corporate blog, a Facebook page or a Twitter profile, the best way to give your audience 24/7 access to information are through these channels. You can also implement exciting contests, special offers and useful tips. No matter what your business revolves around, there is always a way to work Social Media in.
That’s a wrap for this week’s Introducing Social Media To Your Business, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us, we’ve got plenty of information to share with you. Tune in next week for more spicy knowledge on Social Media.
Catchya’ next week!
Spicy Team.
