Social Media Marketing: It Starts at Home

By “Home” I am referring to your business’s “homepage.” While external social media sites are a crucial part of any social media marketing campaign, savvy business owners know that you can’t neglect the homefront / homepage. Here are three tips for identifying opportunities for interaction that may already exist on your website.

Tip #1 Create a site that invites conversation

You have likely heard that “content is king” and “conversation is queen.”  How about ensuring your content invites conversation. What do I mean?Review your site to ensure it isn’t speaking “at” your customers, but rather “to” them. Yes, there is information you need to impart; but you’ll encourage more interaction by crafting your message as if was part of a dialogue instead of a monologue. In addition to making your site more readable and engaging to users – using a conversational tone in your content also makes your subsequent invitations to interact more natural.

Once you’ve tweaked your content pages – consider adding an internal blog. An internet marketing company in Houston can help you add an internal blog (like this one!) if you don’t have one already. A blog serves many purposes – not the least of which is introducing you to your customers on a personal level. The comment section under your blog can also be a great place to encourage dialogue and interaction.

Tip #2 Encourage Feedback

There are many ways to encourage feedback, and the options you choose will likely have everything to do with what sort of business you’re in. Companies that sell products or services might encourage feedback with reviews and testimonials. A website for a railroad company on the other hand might not have any use for a customer review – but they might want to gain credibility in their endeavors to “go green” by asking visitors to supply “sustainable suggestions” in a virtual suggestion box.

Warning: many companies have the desire to censor customer comments and feedback. Don’t be tempted. You may occasionally find that a customer wasn’t 100% pleased with your product and service. Allowing them to communicate with you via your website allows you to respond and take action, developing credibility in the process. Also, keep in mind that one bad comment amongst dozens of great ones won’t damage your reputation – if anything, this too adds credibility by demonstrating the reviews are honest and real.

Tip #3 Create incentives for participation

Give your visitors a reason to participate in your website. Contests are a great way to do this. Think: a product-naming contest; or a contest for the best photo of your product being used. You might also create a rewards program for customers who become members on your site. The discounts don’t have to be huge – but it will keep the conversation going as they’ve now invited you to send them information about promotional events and discounts.

Prizes and promotional programs are options – but the main point here remains the fostering of a dialogue. In that sense, the incentive can be as minimal as recognizing they’ve made the effort to communicate with you. Did they leave a comment on your internal blog? Respond to it. Did they make a suggestion in your virtual suggestion box? Send an email thanking them for their thoughts. Think of it as part of the act of listening – you are nodding your head slightly, saying “I hear you – I appreciate your input.” You’ll be surprised (and inspired) by how far this small act can take you and your business in this new world of word-of-mouth marketing.

Questions about this or other social media marketing topics? Use the comment section below or eEmail me at jenn@directory.com and I’ll do my best to address your question in an upcoming blog. You can also consult a Houston social media marketing company today at 713.465.0051

Learn More:

Social Media Marketing: Getting Your Message Across “Socially”

Social Media Marketing: Why Just “Being There” Isn’t Enough