September 28, 2016
Tweeting, linking, snapping, posting, liking … oh my! Today’s world offers a plethora of channels to “speak” to others, build your brand, and increase sales. As a leader, it is important you at least know the basics about social media today. These are channels that reach millions of people. To use them well, you need to know enough so that you can leverage them to achieve your strategies and goals. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
First, consider your marketing and sales strategy. Who are the targets, and what types of content are they most interested in? Think broadly about this one. You don’t just want to share information on corrugated. Consider leadership, manufacturing tips, retail trends, sustainability insights, etc., as valuable content as well. Providing valuable content gets you noticed and builds your presence on all the channels.
Next, create your company profile. Your profile shows the world who you are, and first impressions count. Every element should showcase your best content and accurately reflect your business identity.
Then search out followers. Each of these channels works best when you build up followers and produce valuable content so they connect back to you. This builds your reach as well as the number of touches for each target. Think about your current and potential clients as well as key associations, publications, etc. The search function in each channel makes it easy to find and follow others. Post periodically—at least monthly—to keep your content and profiles fresh and up to date.
The following are the critical four platforms you should use to start your social media journey:
Create both a personal and a company profile. For your company profile, your logo, a compelling headline, a summary of 40 words or more, products/services offered, areas of expertise/differentiators, and expertise/skills will cover the basics. For your personal profile, adding a profile photo, a compelling headline, and a summary of 40 words or more, filling out your experience section, and adding your skills are great places to start. You can fill in the rest over time.
Join groups of target clients and connections. AICC has a group, of course.
For both personal and business pages, publishing posts is a great way to showcase your professional knowledge, position yourself as a thought leader in your industry, and highlight some of the interesting things your company is doing. Comment on others’ posts periodically.
Offer value by combining a timely mix of content about your business with third-party content, such as links to industry blogs and forums.
YouTube
YouTube is the world’s largest video-hosting site. Get a YouTube-linked video on the home page of your website. Create two- to four-minute videos, and post one a month on your own channel. Showcase your company in a variety of ways, including noting products and services, differentiating expertise, client testimonials, the culture of your company, answering questions about packaging, etc. You don’t need fancy video equipment. It is likely you have everything you need right on your smartphone.
You are probably not going to be as popular as Grumpy Cat, but you will get search engine optimization points—meaning you will be more likely to show up when someone types in the key words you tag your video with.
Twitter is primarily a marketing platform in the business-to-business world. It can also be used very effectively for customer service. Tweets are limited to 140 characters or less, so you have to be concise. Tweet with a link to content you have on your other channels. Retweet the content of others that you think your followers will find valuable.
Don’t forget to follow @FindABoxMaker (AICC’s twitter handle).
Offer value by combining a timely mix of content about your business (product tips, sales events, behind-the-scenes items, and photos) with third-party content, such as links to industry blogs and forums (check out AICC’s page). This builds your credibility as a resource of value to users. Facebook is all about the personal experience, so treating it simply as a promotional outlet will get you nowhere. Post news and updates in a simple, informal, and fun way.
Happy connecting!
Holly Green is an experienced business leader, behavioral scientist, and consultant with The Human Factor Inc. She may be reached at holly@thehumanfactor.biz.
