Remember your social media manners

I read two interesting articles last week, the one focussed on the ‘Internet Turning Customers into Ambassadors’ and the other on ‘Social Media Manners.’ Still a contentious topic, both articles suggest that there is a fine line between turning customers into brand ambassadors and losing customers due to inappropriate social media communications.

The article on Marketingweek.co.uk notes that consumers are turning into digital consumers. They are using the Internet to research products and services before making purchasing decisions and are therefore likely to be better informed about brands. Marketers are taking advantage of this trend by creating Twitter profiles and Facebook fan pages, but then what?

We (and many others) have discussed some guidelines or ‘Rules to Social Media Engagement’ in the past yet still many brands damage their brand reputation through inappropriate use of social media. The most important thing to remember when using the Internet as a platform to engage with consumers is interaction. Laura Lake said “social media is about interacting, when you interact you create relationships; when you create these relationships, you create opportunities to share your products and services. This doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, consistency, and a genuine interest in the creation and nurturing of those relationships.”

So your company has a Facebook fan page and Twitter profile, how can you utilise it to your advantage? As an example, MWeb Connect can use their Twitter profile better by responding to mentions of Mweb in the Twittersphere. Furthermore, they are currently not interacting with their Twitter followers and their Twitter channel is used to push out marketing messages. Same with their Facebook profile which is currently stagnant.

When executed correctly social media marketing can add great value to your brand and your customers’ brand experience. Therefore, remember it is key to be engaging when using social media to build relationships and even more importantly to be consistent and to close the loop.

Interesting links: Businesses: Stay away from social media if you meet the following criteria