HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS SHIFTING THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

Social media is an instrumental element in creating a new epoch in business with respect to transparency and engagement.  It has allowed for fresh opportunities and even challenges.

In a past life, businesses depended on artful advertising campaigns and press releases as means of communicating with consumers.  Companies were constantly trying to influence people into believing that their products and services were the best, with in-your-face, interruptive and one-directional advertisements and messages.

With the social media era now upon us, the landscape of business and marketing strategy has radically shifted, as consumers now insist upon a more transparent and direct relationship with the companies with which they choose to do business.

Companies (that are not already making the most of social media to grow their businesses) must now decide if they will remain in the dark ages, becoming increasingly obscure, or take a leap onto the social media bandwagon in order to become ‘humanized’ and to forge new, interactive relationships with consumers. 

It’s now imperative that businesses make the shift, transitioning smoothly into the new era.

Here are some of the ways in which the shift is taking place:

1. From “Trying to Make Sales” to “Trying to Make Connections”- Interrupting people’s lives and talking “at” them via traditional advertising means has shifted to engaging and connecting with people more interactively and on a more human level.  Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and LinkedIn, facilitate engagement and social interaction and as a result, consumers have more trust and feel more comfortable engaging in a business relationship with these companies.  The more successful brands in social media are posting not so much about their products and services, but more about ‘personal’ topics of interest that connects them with consumers.

2. From “Image Management” to “Just Being Personable” – It doesn’t do a company justice to maintain a constantly controlled image.  A friendly, trustworthy face that people feel they can depend on and relate to is key.  Drop the stiff corporate image once in a while and just be personable.

3. From “Unattainable” to “Readily Available” – Engaging with customers today is vastly different than it was in the days of simply including your email address and telephone number on your website.  People now want to engage businesses via their preferred means of communication and that usually means Facebook, Twitter or discussion forums.  People want to feel comfortable doing business with companies and need to know that these companies are accessible across the social media board.

Businesses that opt to not acclimatize to the new landscape that social media has formed, will be at a distinct disadvantage, as their customers begin to forge personal relationships with their competitors.  As we are now in an age of engagement, open communication and transparency, business success has less to do with the size of advertising budgets and everything to do with the quality of interaction with customers.

To learn more about how you can develop a social media strategy for your business, join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll teach you everything you need to know to get started today!  Just click on the link below for a listing of workshops in your area.

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

RRSP NEWS – GET IT OUT THERE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

It’s RRSP season, and with the contribution deadline just around the corner, it’s important for all of you financial advisors and planners to get vital information out to your clients and prospects.  So many people don’t understand the in’s and out’s of RRSPs.  What better way to communicate with people than via social media? 

RRSP season is a great opportunity for you to get blogging.  There are a plethora of topics to blog about when it comes to RRSPs.  If you’re so busy that you don’t have the time to come up with any ideas, here are a few you can use:  

-          RRSP vs. Mortgage – Where should your extra dollars be going?

-          TFSAs – The New Alternative to Traditional RRSPs

-          How to Calculate What you Really Need to Retire Comfortably

-          How the Home Buyer’s Plan Program Works

-          What Do Index Numbers Mean and How to Read Them

These are only a few examples – for more ideas, just consider some of the most often-asked questions you hear and blog about them.  Blogs are a very effective way of imparting crucial information to very appreciative clients!

And, don’t forget to use Twitter and Facebook, too.  Tweet short bursts of relevant information and include a link to your blog & website, or to any interesting, helpful articles you think your community might benefit from.  Do the same on Facebook – remind people of the upcoming February 29 deadline and post your contact information so they can get in touch with you!  Post a reminder, for example, that the maximum contribution one can make to his/her TFSA in any given year is $5000.00 – let people know that they can be penalized for going over that limit and give them tips on how to ensure that they don’t accidentally do so.  Make sure your posts are useful to people – as I mentioned earlier, the average person does not know as much about RRSPs and retirement as we should know, and by sharing your expertise via the social media platforms that people are using, you are establishing yourself as the go-to person that people will want to deal with.

If you need help communicating via social media, why not consider joining one of our Social Media for Business workshops, where we’ll teach you everything you need to know to be effective on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and how to make the most of your blog!  Click on the following link to view a schedule of workshops in your area:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS WITH FACEBOOK EVENTS

Planning a special event?  An event is a great way to promote your business and Facebook makes event planning and promoting easy (whether the event is real or virtual).  Facebook Events allows you to organize gatherings, respond to invitations and is a valuable way of keeping up with what your friends are doing.  An Event can be anything from a store’s new location opening, to an Open House, to a charitable fundraiser sponsored by your business.  An Event can be used as a fundamental way to generate business.

A Facebook Event is a useful tool for exposure, for fostering new and existing relationships, for generating sales and for sponsorship opportunities.

Example:  Say you’ve just started up in the real estate industry and you want to generate some buzz with a wine & cheese soirée.  Great start and an effective way to promote your new business! 

To Create Your Event: 

Clicking on the Events link brings you to a page listing upcoming events you`ve been invited to.  Clicking on an event will bring you to the event’s page, and will allow you to RSVP and see details such as the event’s time, location, and a list of invitees.  Clicking on Past Events will display a list of events you’ve previously been invited to.

To create your own event, click on Events at left on your homepage

Then, click on Create Event

It’s simple and fast.   Just fill out all of the relevant info.  Note the Add Event Photo option on the left.  And, you can add videos as well!

Once you have added a time and location, your event is created.

You can invite any of your Facebook friends to your Event, or you can invite people that are not connected on Facebook by simply entering their email addresses in the box on the Guest List tab of the Edit Event page.  You can invite as many people as you would like to an Event, however you can invite only 100 people at a time.  You can also make the event completely public so that anyone on Facebook can see the Event and sign up to attend.  People like to be invited to things – it makes them feel they’re a part of something. 

A good idea is to promote your event via Twitter and your blog as well.  Tell people all about it, especially if it’s open to the public (always a good idea when promoting a business). 

Once you’ve got your party started, it’s up to you!!  Work that room. 

See how easy it is to create an event all of your own on Facebook?  Just remember, you don’t want to overdo – a strategically timed event can be great for business, however, you don’t want to start scheduling them once a week – people will get bored. 

To learn how to effectively create interesting, successful events, why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll teach you everything you need to know about Facebook Events, Facebook in general and all things Social Media!  Just click on the link below for a schedule of workshops in your area.

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20