It's all about two-way conversations
June 14, 2010
by Catherine Orr, Senior Account Manager, Consultus Corporate PR
People still find social media confusing. I hear clients wanting to create a Facebook fan page for their business or being told by their global head office to start a Twitter account.
A key question is how you will get people to follow you, once the customary employees and friends have signed up, and how you will get them to come back time and time again.
Many companies are keen to use social media to push out their messages to a group of followers, but to really keep them coming back, its all about starting a conversation that interests them, a two-way dialogue. It’s no use just posting corporate media releases or product launches.
That’s why its important that your company’s online voice is managed by someone with the time and the passion to keep your followers engaged.
Start by using social media to listen first. Monitor online channels and hear what people are saying about you and your products or services. Follow like-minded people or companies and see what they’re saying that’s of interest to their followers.
Then think about how you can get involved in existing conversations or start new, interesting dialogues online. Social media is about building relationships with your followers - listen to what they’re saying, take interest and comment on their posts and offer advice only where it’s asked for to cement yourself as an expert in your field.
As with face-to-face conversations, people will move on if they get bored, or if they feel they are being spoken at and not being listened to. You’ll soon get a feel for what’s working and what’s not.