Social Networking
If you operate in the business to business service sector then it’s highly likely that cold calling isn’t an effective way to generate new business, the reason being that building trust is an integral part of winning new client business, and you can only start to build trust through communicating personally with your potential clients through face to face and social networking.
Social media is not a fad – it’s something that’s here to stay, so it’s not a case of ‘if’ you decide to adopt, but ‘when.’ If your competitors are already using social media your clients, or customers, and your staff will only be reading about your market from them which is a huge competitive advantage for them.
If you reflect on where all your client business has come from and a substantial chunk is from personal recommendation or through people you already know then networking and social networking should be part of your marketing strategy. If you don’t have a marketing strategy then perhaps now is the time to think about defining the direction your marketing activity will take. If you don’t have time to develop and or implement a marketing plan, and you don’t know who to outsource to, SFM Consulting works alongside a number of consultancies so can recommend someone appropriate for your business. The reason you need a marketing strategy (and it doesn’t have to be complicated) is to assess which are the most appropriate social networking tools and how you will use them.
Combining social networking with face to face networking is a powerful marketing tool, if done properly, that will increase your profile and drive traffic to your website. The reason you want traffic to your website is because that’s where your potential clients find the detailed information about your business. It underpins ‘the real you’ which they encounter face to face and through your social networking activity.
Time is an important consideration if you are using social networking as a strategic marketing tool. Everything takes time but to work effectively it’s important to schedule your priorities NOT prioritise what’s on your schedule. If you are going to make social networking work for you then you’ll need to schedule time accordingly.
Remember that all your social networking activity needs to be aligned with your brand – internally and externally.
How SFM Consulting can help you with social networking
Sarah from SFM Consulting uses social networking effectively and can provide training and coaching to help you get started. Training, or coaching, either one to one or in groups, can be provided for the following:
- Getting started on Twitter
- Getting started with blogging
- Making the most of LinkedIn
- Making time for social media
- Writing a social media policy
- Understanding the implications of social media and how it should be used (aimed at organisations or departments)
- Ensuring your social media activity is consistent with your brand
Please contact Sarah at SFM Consulting if your training requirements are not listed here.
