10 Tips on How to do Business Communications through Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

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June 3, 2013 • 5-minute read

Social media marketing has been growing steadily and has come a long way since its first days with BBS (Bulletin Board System), CompuServe, and AOL. It started with milestones like the birth of Friendster that was adopted by 3 million users within it’s first few months. And now, we have social media juggernauts like LinkedIn (200 million users as of January 2013), Twitter (500 million users as of 2012), and Facebook (1 billion users as of September 2012).

Using social media has become so popular and even necessary that all kinds of businesses, from small bicycle shops to multi-national corporations, are pouring money, time, and effort just to figure it out for business communications.

It is considerably different from traditional media in a lot of ways such as frequency, immediacy, and most notably, reach. But, taking advantage of this new-age communication tool isn’t difficult to grasp. Here are 10 tips on using social media in business:

1. Don’t be afraid to tackle a larger audience.

Before the Internet and social media were mainstream, businesses marketed their products and services only within the borders of their country. Marketing overseas was simply expensive back then – but, not anymore. Creating a Facebook Page for your product/service and sharing your link to your contacts, friends, and colleagues is a good start.

2. Take advantage of instant feedback.

All comments on your Facebook page, be it positive or negative, give you an idea of how people see and react to your product/service. Take note of the most common gripe and improve on it. What people love the most, maintain.

3.Take part in local events.

Give your support to events that go on within local communities. Making the theme of your page match a big cultural event will make people feel warm towards your brand (e.g. a Holiday season theme, or an annual food fair).

4. Keep things positive.

Even in the face of calamities and catastrophes, do not let people see sad and devastating posts from your Page. Instead, give them something to brighten up their day. You can post information on disaster coordination efforts or announce free cups of coffee during a storm. It will mean little or no revenue loss and will gain you more thankful followers and customers.

5. Interaction is key.

Make sure you frequently interact with your followers/customers. This makes them feel that you value your relationship with them. Answer their questions and respond to their comments or posts.

6. Let them feel your presence.

How would you feel if you filled-out an online feedback form and got a personal response from the brand? Yes, it would feel great! It’s as if the brand really attends to what the people have to say. Do this as frequently as you can and you are bound to have more loyal customers.

7. Small talk doesn’t hurt.

A simple “Good morning!” or “How are you doing today?” is always nice to hear from a friendly neighbor. Be the friendly neighbor and make someone feel good.

8. Watch your language.

No matter how personal and passionate you feel about a topic or an event, never lose your professional cool. If you can’t avoid it, do not post or respond at all.

9. Be wary of jargons.

In like-minded communities, like LinkedIn groups, people tend to use specific professional terminologies that might be a little confusing to people not belonging to the group. Be mindful when using technical terms so as not to alienate any member of your audience.

10. Pull a good balancing act.

Get a good mix of fun and professionalism. Do not be too technical that people find your posts boring. Share jokes with your followers once in a while. But, don’t be too informal either or your brand will not be taken seriously.

These are some things that will get you off to a good start when using social media sites for business. But remember, you may need to alter your approach once you pin down what your specific audiences respond to and need.

10 Business Communication Social Media Tips

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About the Author

Cezar Camba is a Social Media Analyst for StraightArrow Corporation supporting one of Facebook‘s biggest ad resellers. He is a mobile tech news aficionado and a seasonal blogger.

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