Social networking is great for business for many reasons. Until recently, many site owners forgot one of the main rules for selling – People buy from People. In almost every business, it is all about the relationship the customer has with a shop, a sales assistant or a product that makes me want to buy. The internet and social networks make it easy to find people and information. Understand the relationships and communication patterns and you can experience real world results.
Advantages to Social Networking:
1. Social networks build better customer/company relationships. This comes from the idea that we will listen to a friend-of-a-friend long after we would hang up on a telemarketer. The message still needs to be appropriate, and the tone needs to match the connection.
2. Social networks build a sense of community; Staff morale and camaraderie are valuable commodities; motivated staff may work harder and be more productive. Social networks help bridge any physical gaps between staff in an organisation.
3. Social networks increase opportunities; for example keeping past employees in contact with your business can create new relationships to sell to their new employer.
4. Social networks help to share knowledge; both internal and external information is found more easily with social networks. Finding information, and the people who have it, is one of the primary advantages to social networks.
5. Social networking lowers recruiting costs; Encouraging staff to use their social networks, and link them with your corporate presence can help employee satisfaction levels which in turn may reduce staff turnover, and assist with recruiting.
Considerations before social networking:
1. Social networking is very time intensive: having simple goals and clear boundaries will help to ensure there is value to be gained, with fewer ramifications.
2. Control freaks beware. You will need to carefully consider the current trust levels before giving staff the opportunity to speak on behalf of your company. This may mean a big shift in your corporate culture.
3. Opening the communication within your business may place strains on the usual decision hierarchy within some businesses.
Brendan Byrne (www.receptive.com.au) is an internet marketing consultant. Brendan runs workshops on how to manage your online business and effectively market yourself.
© 2008 Brendan Byrne
