Three Ways Local Businesses Can Get Better Customer Engagement Through Social Media
Kennebunk, Maine (PRWEB) July 09, 2013 -- Many local business owners are curious how exactly to get social media marketing to work for them. Those companies have set up accounts across different social networks, create posts, share links, yet are failing to see a return. In some cases, those organizations have hired so-called social media experts to help promote their business. In other cases, the owner or tech savvy employees handle trying to market the business online. The reality is that many companies have failed to understand basic principles of social media or some of the more creative ways in which to make it work for them. My Local Leads helps companies across the United States build followers, brand, and interest through a variety of techniques and technologies. Online lead generation is a big part of successful business today and using social media properly can really boost a business’s numbers.
Interlinking accounts is one big step for social media mastery. For local businesses, it makes sense to have profiles spread across multiple social networks including Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Each of these serves a different purpose. Facebook is okay for sharing links and posts, but works well to have information shared across different members that may have not come across it before. Google Plus has become highly topical, so people interested in specific fields are likely to join pages and groups. Google Plus is also part of Google Plus Local, so it helps to use this to manage free map listings, YouTube videos, and more. LinkedIn is used by professionals, and is a great way to communicate B2B marketing opportunities. Pinterest can be useful for a business to share event images, ideas on how to use their products, and more. All of these tools are inherently more useful when they link between one another.
Sometimes, keeping it simple really does work. A local plumbing contractor might provide tips on how homeowner’s can maintain their water heater to prevent problems and lengthen its lifecycle. This inspires confidence and promotes goodwill. That simple exercise can work on as a blog post on the website, which is linked to from Facebook, with images (including captions) shared on Pinterest, with a YouTube video uploaded under the Google Plus account. If done properly, when someone in the local area is looking for “water heater maintenance”, it is quite likely this quality, original content will appear before those other companies that just list it as an offered service along with a phone number.
Local companies should always remember to have fun. While business is business, having fun and making people smile is a part of business. Those people under a lot a stress because their car just broke down and they now need to find a local mechanic could come across something on a local garage’s site or social media profile that makes them smile and encourages them to call. That kind of humor translates well when using social media, because people are more likely to share things that make them chuckle. So, if the site posts a funny poll, for example, and people share it around, that is one more time that the company gets in front of more people, helping to build brand recognition.
Chris Moreno, My Local Leads, http://www.mylocalleads.com, (207) 332-3306, [email protected]
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