A couple statements I often hear as a Social Media Manager, especially in the healthcare industry, are, “I don’t see the value in social media” or “social media just doesn’t make sense for our business.” Now, I could throw some stats at you that might make you change your mind like for instance how 26% of all hospitals in the US participate in social media or that 31% of healthcare professionals use social media for professional networking but really I’d rather just cut to the chase and ask you a question, what could it hurt? If you aren’t on social media and your competitors are, you are essentially handing them over your potential customers.
When I am looking for a product or service on social media or Google, I type what I am looking for in search. Call me crazy, but I am pretty sure that I am not the only person doing this. In fact, I would assume most millennials do this. If you are hard to find or we are not able to find you at all...Bye, Felicia! <--That is our generation’s weird way of saying, see you later, I don’t want to waste my time, someone else will have the answers for me quicker! The point is...it’s not about what you want. These are where your customers are. It doesn’t matter what your industry is. Healthcare, Technology, Logistics, etc...I could really go on but I think you get the idea. Social media is the new norm.
“But the healthcare industry is too professional for social media”, you say? That’s not where your target industry is located. If you are sure and you have done your research about this, OK. Fair enough. So why not take the lead? Be the trendsetter because others will be following shortly.
It is not enough to just have an account for your business, you actually have to use it and use it often. If someone asks you a question, are you available immediately to answer it? No? Say it with me...Bye, Felicia! You just lost out. We are an impatient bunch of people here in the USA. We like things quick and that includes answers to our questions.
Here are some other things your social sites will get judged on:
- Followers: If you have few to no followers, it might make us wonder...Are they even using this site? It seems very cold. It may give us the feeling that we should go to the other business that is engaging with their customers and has all the nice reviews and a quick response time badge on Facebook. That other site is active and seems to appreciate their customers.
- Images: If you have dated images, it’s not helping you. You should have professional, updated images on your cover photo and your profile picture. A blurry image of your company logo is not going to cut it.
- Posts: Are you posting about your products all day, every day? Yes? Cut it out. Coming at customers in a salesy way is only going to turn them off…don’t be that guy (or girl). You should be posting 80 percent of others relevant industry related information. Sharing is still important. You can be selfish with the other 20 percent. Use that to promote your products, company news, events, blogs...you get the idea. Sharing your web site's own content is one of the best ways to get people back to your site. Think of it as free advertising.
- Engagement: When someone asks you a question, do you answer them? Yes? Me too. It’s polite and if we didn’t, they would probably assume we were rude. It is no different on social media, that’s what the whole “social” part is all about.
- Profile: Do you have all the information on your site to make your business easily accessible? It’s important to have as much contact information as possible wherever it is applicable. Include your other social platforms and your company email. Make your business easy to find.
That’s about it! So your options are:
Create an awesome profile that will impress your visitors, bring people back to your site and promote your brand.
Or
Keep the mindset that social media is not right for your company and wait until everyone else, including your competitors, have already gotten their foot in the door.
This is our reality now. It may seem like a lot and you may not have the time and that is OK. That is what we are here for. We take out the hassle and save you time. We are an extension of your team. KBK can provide you with a digital marketing assessment where we will dissect your social strategy and provide you with the best possible steps to take to make sure your social sites are providing you with another avenue to success. We understand that your business is unique and will provide a personalized marketing strategy for you.