Posted: on Thursday, September 8th, 2011.

“Social media is like a snowball rolling down the hill. It’s picking up speed. Five years from now, it’s going to be the standard.”

The term social media has been ingrained in our society not only in Ireland but the world over. Those who haven’t heard of facebook must have been living under a massive rock far  from their computer or the media. The cinema hasn’t been facebook-free either with the release of the smash hit Social Network in 2010. So really there is no excuse. Needless to say, Social Media is not disappearing so it is best to jump on the bandwagon!

How is it done best?

The rules and governance of social media vary according to different verticals however the basic principles remain the same. The following is an outline of social media pointers as learned by Product2Market:

Know the sites that work for you.

Facebook, twitter, linkedIn, foursquare and myspace are just a few of the main social networking sites which can be utilized.  There are dozens of them, which cater for different objectives. In order to decide which ones work best for you:

Ask.

How much time are you willing to dedicate to this?

Don’t commit yourself to 3-4 networking sites if you can’t update them frequently. This will look un-professional and will not impress potential clients. Assess the potential campaigns you can run on the said sites. Once you are clear on this, move forward with your campaigns. Remember there is room for trial and error just keep note of everything!

Research profiles and past campaigns of those in your industry. Have a look at what they are doing and what seems to be working (and not working).

Have a plan.

Ensure that you plan ahead and know exactly where the campaign is going. There are certain criteria which should be followed when compiling a plan: Look at peak times when there is likely to be more potential clients online. If you are targeting workers, companies or government bodies, the best times will be from 9-5 Monday to Friday (in Ireland). Put yourself in the client’s shoes, when are they most likely to be looking for your service?

Be clear of your social network personality.

If you want to have a profile which is fun and friendly with a note of humour then stick to this. Whether your tone is informative, serious or even sarcastic, own it.

Include promotional offers (schedule them into the plan).

As clients begin to follow you, seeing something especially for them as a “reward” is always inviting. Make it interesting and they will respond.

Network as much as you can (avoid spamming).

There is a reason why linkedin post how your (for example) 200 connections connect you to 500000 connections- everyone knows someone who knows someone. Behave as if you were at a live networking event, approach with care. Ensure that those you connect with are of relevance i.e. either you know them or are/potentially could run in the same line as them.

Be polite and introduce yourself.

There is an option to send a mail before connecting with anyone therefore let them know who you are before they get the invite.

Make sure it is worth your while. It is better to have 50 valuable connections/fans/followers than 500 randomly selected.

Be patient and remember results take time.

Like anything, don’t expect rapid results overnight. Be consistent, plan and show interest.

Ensure that you post updates, network and/or make offers on a consistent basis. Whether it is once a day or once a week, keep this the same.

If you don’t care for social networking then don’t get involved. Your lack of interest will be very obvious. Hiring someone to do it or to plan your campaign for you could work wonders.

Keep an eye on your success.

Know how many people are following, liking or connecting to your page and be aware of this. If there are no changes for a significant period of time then the plan is not working and a re-assessment is necessary.

The Internet is full of interesting articles, blog entries and new resources about social networking to read and learn from. There are new social sites being formed all the time some of which work and some which don’t. Be aware of change and go with it.

We at Product2Market are embracing Social Media. Find us on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter.