Never deny the importance of a good image. As comedian George Carlin observed, "The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity." Enter Lisa Maas, president of Publicity Works, a marketing and ad agency in Royal Oak, who will be advising businesses from a PR perspective and discussing diversification as the key to fiscal fitness.
Lisa Maas - Post 3: Now is the Time to Add Social Networks to Your Business Plan
Posted By: Lisa Maas
Posted: 5/19/2009
Internet use has experienced a major paradigm shift these past few months. According to a recent New York Times article, users now spend more time on social media sites than they do on e-mail. Now that social networks have risen to the status of a primary mode of communicating ideas and information, it is the perfect time to harness that potential and make social media work for your business.
As a business, you don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. Don't overlook the importance of public relations efforts that utilize social media – jump right in and experiment with sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr. These provide a free online forum, a way for you to reach clients you might not otherwise find.
New media should not be intimidating. Your Facebook company page or Twitter profile don't have to look glamorous. Just get started, get out there. Having delved right into the social media machine in our business, I recommend spending one-third of your time paying some attention to social media, growing those networks. The rewards will make it worth the effort.
At Publicity Works, we recently hired a content manager with a reporting background. About 75 percent of her job is dedicated to working in social media for our company and our clients. As a result, we've experienced significant growth, in both client leads and attention for our company.
By staying informed of changing technology and ways that social media can aid the growth of any business, we've positioned ourselves as experts in our industry. Social networking shouldn't be a wait-and-see endeavor. There is no reason to put it off for another day. Just because Facebook is free, don't assume it has no value. The payoff will be noticeable.
You will find that social networking adds a new layer of transparency to your business. It allows you to obtain feedback about your business in real time. You can connect personally and authentically with your clientele, who will appreciate the opportunity to pose questions or comments to you through Twitter, as long as you reply.
Participation is the key to pay-off. Make social media a discipline of your own business. Don't be afraid to jump into the pool.
The Takeaway
• Social media – just do it. Commit yourself to this influential mode of communication.
• Dedicate one-third of your time to working your social networks for your business.
• Consider it a tool to measure how your business is progressing, and to reach new customers.