Deft social media may keep your business compelling

Social media interactions can energize your customers.
Social media interactions can energize your customers.

There’s a vast difference between simply having a social media profile on a popular network such as Twitter or Facebook and using it to effectively communicate with potential clients. Any business can sign up for a free account on such a site – the consumer technologies that power these services are extremely user-friendly. But as a retailer, you’re expected to offer users a professional face that paints your offerings in a good light and draws customers in the door. Despite the remarkably low cost of entry to promoting your store on social media, this method can have a long reach with modern, connected consumers if you employ good practices.

The power of responsive social media

Business 2 Community contributor Dorien Morin-van Dam recently specified that businesses capable of responding to consumers on social media in creative and unscripted ways will experience benefits compared to their more stoic counterparts. Of course, this strategy could prove disastrous if carried out incorrectly, so the author also included some details on how to master improvisation.

    • Patience and friendliness: Morin-van Dam explained there are ample chances to make your store more appealing online by responding to inquiries on social, even if the answers are obvious. There is no need to ignore these instances and certainly no grounds for sarcasm or negativity. Instead, it’s best to give a straight-faced response and maybe earn a sale.

 

    • Valued opinions: The author also explained companies can avoid saying “no” and that something isn’t available by offering the future potential for carrying that item. Mentioning that those types of requests can help sway the decision-making process is also good messaging. It’s a positive move in a situation that may at first scan as negative.

 

  • But don’t overdo it!: While it’s good not to deny consumers’ inquiries, Morin van-Dam advised against making up anything that isn’t true. With a lack of caution, you can talk yourself into a corner.

When paying for campaigns

While signing up for social accounts is typically free, you can pay to reach more individuals through ads. Huffington Post contributor Lisa Parkin recently pointed out a few points you should keep in mind when deciding to pursue this type of outreach. For instance, she stated there should be an overriding idea behind the buy. If you don’t have a real objective, it’s hard to tell if your new tactic is reaching its potential. Parkin also posited companies can and should experiment with different ad appearances to pick the best one to move forward with.