One of the things we take pride in here at SSP is our customer service. We strive to make sure you are 100% happy with your products and that you are getting exactly what you need. Part of our efforts takes place on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. We enjoy engaging, discussing and sharing awesome deals and specials with our friends online. So we thought, why not share what we’ve learned about the social media world with our readers? Read on to see what our marketing gal Stephanie (hey, that’s me!) has learned about communicating in the social media realm.
Listen & Engage. I learned quickly that one of the most important aspects of communication is simply just listening to what others had to say. Sounds easy, right? Well…sometimes. I remember a few times getting quite frustrated because the ‘likes’ and comments were continually MIA on my Facebook posts. Guess what I learned? I wasn’t speaking to my audience. This is important especially if you have a specific demographic you’re trying to reach out to. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what you’d like to hear if you were them. Ask questions, acknowledge responses and remember what your parents told you….it’s always appropriate to say thank you.
Have fun! But be professional and keep things real. Be yourself and be human. No one wants to read posts that appear to have been automatically generated by a robot. That can often come across as impersonal. Don’t be afraid to express emotion (my personal favorite, ‘haha!’ reminds me of a big, hearty, chuckle and always makes me smile) or be colorful with your words. Get to know your followers by exploring their facebook pages and tweets and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to someone new.
Promote yourself. People want to know what you have to offer as a company or individual, so tell them. Offering special deals or promotions is always a great way to get someone’s attention. It’s also a good idea to make sure all specific details are present so no one get confused about what you are offering. Adding contact info, such as a phone number, website or email address where people can easily reach you in case they have questions is also a good idea. You don’t have to limit yourself to social media on this one either. Every month we send out a newsletter that showcases our monthly special as well as other seasonal promotions going on. We also encourage our facebook and twitter friends to visit our website and read our blog.
These suggestions are merely that…things that I have found helpful when engaging on facebook and twitter (I am by no means an expert…and I still learn new things every day). I hope you’ll be able to take something new from this, or perhaps be able to say “hey, I do some of those things too!” As always, I would LOVE to hear from you, the reader….so leave your comments! Tell us what strategies you use when communicating with others in social media and how it benefits you. And, of course…if you don’t already follow us on facebook and twitter, please do so. We can’t wait to meet you.
