Archive for September, 2010
Got 11 Hours to Spare?
Whether you run a busy medical practice or manage marketing for a multi-national corporation, you’re busy. Seriously busy. So where will you find the time to develop, implement, and manage a social media strategy that delivers results? It does take time. According to a business survey by Social Media Examiner, 30% of respondents spend at least 11 hours a week on social media.
Read moreThe Case for Your Practice’s Social Media Strategy
Building the case for using social media in your legal practice can be a challenge—especially if you’re working with professionals who grew up with clunky typewriters or mobile phones built like bricks. And while their hesitancy to jump into the social media landscape is understandable, that doesn’t mean the case is closed.
Read morePut the Social in Your Social Network Strategy
Put the social in your social network strategy
Read moreThe Care and Feeding of Trolls
If the troll occupies an online brand community, carefully consider whether the actions warrant a ban. Social Media DIY Workshop for Small Business advises identifying exactly why you’re editing or deleting a comment because someone may challenge you later.
Read moreThe Upside of Outsourcing Social Media for PR Firms
As a PR professional, your job is to make a brand look better, whether it’s a long-trusted consumer product or the latest celebrity who’s been behaving badly. Social media is becoming an increasingly must-have part of any strategy to shape perceptions about clients. But it can be a challenge to assemble an in-house social media team, from finding the perfect candidates to paying the extra overhead.
Read moreMake Social Media Work for Service Firms
Blog 33 | Make Social Media Work for Service Firms
You don’t sell widgets. You don’t sell gizmos. You sell yourself and your expertise. Whether you’re a partner in a leading law firm or a public relations expert, you are the product. Clients rely on your know-how to deliver results in a court room, in the media, or any number of other arenas. Here are just a few of the ways social media monitoring and presence can build your service brand:
Can you hear them now?
They’re talking about you right now. Maybe an unhappy client finds your website’s registration process intrusive or several customers write that it would be easier to do business with your company if you just added extra office hours. You won’t learn any of this unless you’re listening to the conversation. Social media monitoring gives you insight into the voice of the customer (VOC), which, in turn, helps you build better services.
D-Fense!
Maybe an employee got a little mouthier with a client than he should have. Perhaps you have a client who just refuses to be satisfied, no matter how capable and flawless your service was. There’s an old-school rule of thumb that states a happy customer will tell 5 people but a dissatisfied customer will tell 20 people. Add social media into the mix and it’s easy to imagine how 200 or 2,000 potential clients can now read about a client’s bad experience.
Online listening tools allow you to know when it’s time to defend yourself, providing the opportunity to correct the misperceptions that could be costing you revenue and damaging your brand.
Sell those skills!
While we often think of online reputation management as a way to beat back nasty negative comments, service businesses can also manage reputation by providing quality content. The creation and sharing of good content creates value for readers and helps build the brand. Don’t think you’re just creating value for your typical client, either. Good content attracts other opportunities, too, such as consulting offers or media exposure.
Social media content can be tailored to the sites your clients prefer to use (and, of course, you’ll know that because you have an online listening program.) For example, share your knowledge and give clients’ value through blog posts, Digg articles, Facebook posts or YouTube videos.
Social media isn’t just a place for people to “Like” their favorite clothing store. It’s a place for service businesses to do everything from listen to clients to share valuable knowledge. When it’s time for you to step into the social media world in an effective, ROI-boosting way, contact the social media experts at Social Strategy1 for a no-obligation demonstration.
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Social Media Trust-building Tips for Attorneys
But Facebook, Twitter and other sites aren’t just places for clients to talk. Social media is also a smart way for lawyers to establish trust with their audience. Here are quick tips on how to use social media to build trust with clients:
Read more4 Lunch Break Social Media Strategy Boosters
ocial media strategy takes time. From developing an online listening program to building a base of devoted online influencers, social success—virtual style—doesn’t happen overnight. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t…
Read moreSocial Media Strategy – Conversation for a Cause
Cashing in on social media isn’t just for profit-producing entities. In fact, a social media strategy is a smart addition to the non-profit director’s tool kit. Here’s how to leverage this powerful medium to promote your mission…
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