Software giant Oracle is now encouraging sales reps to use their personal social media accounts to engage with prospects. With the help of Jill Rowley, a former Eloqua sales rep who worked with Oracle to develop a program that trained employees on how to properly use social media, Oracle has transformed from socially inept to a socially savvy company with about five percent of the company’s 23,000 sales reps using Twitter. Oracle’s quest to get more “social” got us thinking about social media best practices for businesses.
Social media has become an invaluable tool for businesses, allowing them to directly engage with customers and spread brand awareness. In fact, 36 percent of all marketers have found a customer via Twitter in 2013; however, simply creating an account on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn and posting once or twice isn’t enough. Below are some do’s and don’ts for using social media for business.
Do’s:
- Make it a habit: Consistency is the key to social media success. Posting regularly will not only help build a solid following, but it will also instill brand loyalty. But keep in mind that when it comes posting, timing is everything. Research found that tweeting one to four times per hour in the mid-afternoon and during the weekend will lead to higher click-through-rates.
- Watch your language: While the “talk” on social media is less corporate and more conversational, it’s important to remember that you’re representing your business. Therefore, keep it classy and professional.
- Be Human: While it’s important to remain professional, you also have to show your “human side.” Use social media as a window to showcase your company’s personality and culture. For example, post pictures of an upcoming project or a company outing. The more you humanize your brand, the more consumers will engage.
Don’ts:
1. Ignore consumers: Social media has become a popular vehicle in which consumers directly engage with brands and ask questions. In fact, 53 percent of customers who ask a brand a question on Twitter expect a response within one hour. Never ignore customers.
2. Don’t be a salesman: Customers turn to social media to learn more about a company or to catch up on the latest news; the last thing they want is to be bombarded by sales pitches. Turn off your inner salesperson and start thinking like your customers.
3. Don’t beg for “likes”: Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of followers when you start out; they will come if you create valuable, shareable content.
At the end of the day, social media is meant to be fun. Experiment with different things and see what works best for your company.
