Why 90% of Small Businesses Use Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC] / Social Media Week

This coming Thursday, I will be on a panel with some very smart folks at Social Media Week in Los Angeles: Social CRM: Hurdles Along the Path to Measurable Social Marketing Programs. We will be visiting the ROI for brands online. Below is some information that covers some of my thoughts:

A survey of 600 small business owners across the United States indicates that 90% are actively engaged in social networking sites and 74% perceive social networking as valuable — if not more valuable — than networking in-person.

When 42% of owners say that 25% of new customers discovered them through sites such as Facebook and Foursquare, it is crucial that your business is online and social.

But the news is not all merry, as 58% of surveyed owners said they struggle with promoting their Facebook pages — if they have a page at all.

The takeaway is clear. You need to be where your customers are. Forget what your competitors are doing, as their customers are different from your customers. You also need to integrate internet communications into your normal routine of business networking.

via socialmediatoday.com

 

Quickly Research Facebook Competition by Checking Fanpage Likes Tab

On Facebook, demographics are everything. Knowing your fan base, and the fan base of your competitors can mean the difference between creating engaging page content or failing to connect with potential fans.

Here is a quick way to get the inside scoop on your Facebook competition to make sure that you’re targeting the right audience with your Facebook page content.

Step 1 – Identify your Facebook competition

Though this is rather self-explanatory, it makes sense to keep an eye on your Facebook competitors. What brands are operating in the same space as you? Identify them and “Like” their pages. Take note of what they post, how they engage, and what kind of content they share with their fans. (To do this you must visit them from your personal Facebook profile, not your business page)

Step 2 – Visit their Facebook Page and Click on the “Likes” tab

On each Facebook page that is timeline enabled, personal users can click on the “Likes” tab at the top of the page to get a quick snapshot of the company’s fans. This is where you gather the data.

Click the Likes tab to view a snapshot of your competition’s fans.

Step 3 – Study Like Data to Determine the Fan Base

After clicking the Like tab, you’ll be presented with a nice summary of your competitor’s fan page data. Take note of it, and compare it to your own page’s analytics. What do you see in common? Are you reaching the same audience? Do you have similar peaks in traffic? Maybe you have nothing in common with your competitor’s page. This could be good or bad, depending on which page has the most engaged users, or those “talking about the page.”

Obviously, Facebook doesn’t reveal all the statistics of other fan pages, but with this limited information, you should at least be able to identify strengths and weaknesses between your page and your competitors’ pages. Use the data to inform your content decisions, and finally, don’t forget to keep checking in on your competitors. Facebook is always changing, and so are page management strategies. By checking your competitors’ Like tabs, you can at least be sure that you’re operating within similar demographics.

Do you know your Facebook competition? What are you doing to stay competitive?

via fanpagetoolkit.com

10 Things Your Customers Wish You Knew About Them [Infographic]

What does it take to deliver outstanding and above and beyond customer service? The simple answer: An incredible understanding of how your customers think. Spending lots of time with your users and customers every day is one of the most important things I believe.The infographic below has some points to remember:

One of the things I’m trying to do as much as possible is to learn about other ways to understand more about users and customers. What are some of the things you have learnt over the past that made a difference interacting with a company? What was the absolute best experience you had in your life speaking to a company? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Source: HelpScout

via blog.bufferapp.com