Getting Social : Part 2 What businesses need to know

So what is the process around getting social for businesses wanting to create customers from engagement via social media?

One principle that should guide your thinking here is that we, humans, like to connect and therefore forge communities with people like us.

So to demonstrate that you have shared values or at least empathy for the values of your ideal clients, you need to :

- create shareable stories around what it is that you do

- in turn create and demonstrate a culture that will prompt people to take action to promote you

The platforms for that interaction are social media.

So, when thinking about your ideal clients :

- your messages ie your content needs to be focussed on the members of your community of ideal client ie what ties them together?

- the content needs to be shareable

- you need to develop a rich in depth view of these groups and individuals : social helps you do that fast

- and you need to deliver content succinctly and with impact

Gossieaux and Moran in The Hypersocial Organisatiin talk about :

- listening, engaging on their terms, collaboration, and storytelling

All this is part of the process.

Importantly you need to be genuine, real, candid, and be willing to offer more than corporate speak and generic content.

You need to be you.

Finding out and defining who exactky that is, is your first step.