socialmedia

Social media isn’t an option anymore, and that’s exactly how I responded. My customer didn’t like hearing it, but social media is a huge part of participating in the modern business landscape.

Last year, Google released significant search algorithm updates that changed SEO ranking, resulting in social media activity significantly impacting your ranking. Not being on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn (the “Big Three”) can hurt you.

Do you remember when in the “dot-com” era, not having a website meant your business simply wasn’t relevant? The same can be said today for businesses that don’t have a social presence.

Where You Need to be Present

It seems as if a new social network pops up practically every month. This can make it difficult to determine where you need to build a presence. While there are countless options out there (Google+ and Pinterest are growing in popularity), what truly matters is being present on the “Big Three”:  Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. These are the three of the most popular social networks today, and all of them are relevant for businesses.

Each network fulfills different objectives for you and your company:

When social networks were in their infancy, you could choose the network you wanted to participate in based on your target market. MySpace was your avenue to the artsy audience. Facebook took you to the academic crowd. LinkedIn found us techies.

As social networks have reached the mainstream, though, the lines have blurred and people gravitate to the network they enjoy participating in the most. Since there isn’t one specific social network that companies in different industries tend to favor, you want a presence on all of them.

How Social Media Can Increase Your Customer Base

Social media helps you increase and broaden your customer base. With LinkedIn, prospects can read about your experience and background, as well recommendations written by current and former customers and colleagues. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO, sales manager or otherwise–prospective customers are looking for your experience in the role they need to work with you in.

Today people get their education about a business or service from Facebook and Twitter, which is just one reason why they’re so important. They read your posts, add comments and generally feel as if they’re a part of a larger conversation with you; they’re personally connecting with you in their own way to learn more about your company. People will choose to work with businesses that they feel most comfortable with and knowledgeable about. While websites used to be the window into your world, social networks are now their first stop. They almost serve as a form of referral, and can really work in your favor.

In short, social media truly does matter. If you learn to embrace it, you can expect to see an increase in your customer base more quickly, and with a stronger bond, than you might imagine. Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn if you’d like to see how we do it and get some ideas for yourself.

Kendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert, author of the newly released book, “The Sales Magnet,” and the award winning book, “Selling Against the Goal,” and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group works with companies to break in and exceed revenue objectives in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment.