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How to Market Your Business

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Conversations & Communities

2:15 with Dan Gorgone

As you begin to gain followers on social networks, you may find new ways to effectively communicate. To make social media truly “social”, conversations must take place, and communities only truly grow when you take the time to listen and respond.

Things to Consider

  • After you publish posts to social networks, do you review the responses they receive?
  • Do you provide a variety of posts to each network, such as news, video, pictures, and links to interesting content?
  • How many different people post on behalf of your company?
  • Do you have a forum or central location where your customers/users discuss topics related to your company? Is it a space you provide, or is it located on a social network (e.g. Facebook group)?

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    As you begin to gain followers on your site and social networks, 0:00
    you may find new ways to effectively communicate. 0:03
    Responding to post on Facebook or replies on your blog for example are great ways 0:07
    to share your information that relates directly to user needs. 0:12
    But rest assure there's one very simple and important aspect 0:16
    of your online persona--that you are listening. 0:19
    To make social media truly "social," conversations must take place. 0:24
    Today's marketing strategies are dependent upon 2-way communication 0:29
    between a company and its users. 0:33
    If users believe a company is not listening, they may assume they don't care, 0:35
    and the level of trust and faith that users have in them, its products, 0:40
    as well as its future may suffer. 0:43
    A common mistake companies make is the push-only approach, 0:47
    using social platform simply as another publishing channel. 0:50
    Tweet after tweet of post after post of the same type of contents, 0:53
    sometimes duplicate content will make it look like you're not paying attention. 0:57
    Avoid this approach at all cost. 1:02
    Communities truly grow when you take the time to listen and respond 1:06
    and foster an environment where users can speak amongst themselves. 1:10
    And many social networks already provide this kind of open communication. 1:14
    It's important to allow different sides of an issue related to your company 1:18
    to be heard and explored. 1:22
    Remember, innovation is hardly every generated by keeping the status quo. 1:24
    Customers and client who are truly passionate about what you do or provide 1:28
    will share their thoughts and sometimes, they maybe critical of what you do, 1:33
    but while these conversations may result in some awkward, perhaps contentious exchanges 1:38
    in the short term, they can lead to a long term positive and welcome innovation for all. 1:43
    Authenticity and transparency are key. 1:50
    Clear messaging from people within the company will help communication and build trust. 1:53
    But you don't have to reveal all your secrets, you just have to be yourself 1:59
    and listen well, be professional and open minded, and in return, your community of users 2:03
    will become more connected and be willing to support you as you grow. 2:09

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