[ Focus: Social media ]
face-to-face meeting. LinkedIn can be used to facilitate the face-to-face meeting and get you out there in front of people. Use LinkedIn to take the ‘cold’ out of a ‘cold call’. The company profi le on LinkedIn is a powerful tool that allows your clients and contacts to recommend your company’s products and services (different to a personal recommendation); the profi le should, therefore, demonstrate an in-depth portfolio of your organisations products and services and be a showcase for your marcomms materials such as:
Videos; Case studies; Presentations; Capability document PDFs; and Brochure/whitepaper PDFs.
Link to your website and blog – this will drive relevant
traffi c which can be analysed in your analytics account. A well-optimised company profi le on LinkedIn will enable industry professionals to share your online marcomms and point users to your site. You should link your personal and company profi le to your other social media profi les. LinkedIn enables you to draw in the feed from your company blog, so that it is quick and easy for those who follow your company to see and share your marketing messages.
Twitter (
www.twitter.com) Twitter allows you to post updates, limited to 140 characters, as often as you want. When you follow other people on Twitter, you see their updates. When they
follow you, they see your updates. Twitter is a constant stream of communication. Twitter can be used as a news source, a conversation platform, a search engine and for word of mouth sharing – good and bad. Use Twitter to fi nd and follow people you can engage with. There are lots of lists of people to follow with specifi c interests. You can also see who follows whom. Twitter allows you to link to anything and everything. Use Twitter to link to and share your other marketing communications, such as a blog post or an article in an industry journal.
Facebook (
www.facebook.com)
There are a number of good reasons for businesses to participate in and maintain a presence on Facebook. Your business page/profile can help increase your online
footprint by enabling you to engage with existing and potential clients on a regular basis while also connecting with employees. Facebook statistics show that there are currently 750 million active users –your employees and your potential clients are part of the fi gure. An excellent example of a company leveraging Facebook is facilities management giant MITIE. Look it up and like the page. You can learn it all there.
64 ECA Today September 2012 Google+ (
www.google.com)
When Google makes a move in the ‘social space’ it is important to pay attention and understand how it can impact your business. Google+ is another reason for small and
large companies to stay up to date with new opportunities for spreading brand awareness and connecting directly with audiences. The primary benefi t of this social media channel is your ‘circles’; this enables users to share information with a targeted group/audience, and grouping all your contacts into the relevant ‘circles’ guarantees that your news or updates are shared with relevant individuals. Aimed squarely at the business market, Google+ pages can also be a very effi cient social media tool.
Join in the conversation Don’t use social media as a blatant sales tool, use it to demonstrate your expertise. Ask questions: ‘Can anyone recommend an MCS-accredited PV installer in the north west?’ Or: ‘What is the best CRM system for an electrical contracting fi rm?’ Once you are interacting in groups by participating in discussions, recommending, reviewing and sharing information with others – including those that you are not connected to – others will recognise that you are an expert in your fi eld and will value your opinion. Remember to be polite, thank people for help, and treat them online as you would face-to-face.
About the author
Kirstie Colledge Kirstie Colledge is managing director of online construction PR agency Simply Marcomms. She is also a committee member of CIMCIG, the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Construction Industry Group, and a regular contributor to industry journals including Construction News, Building, ECA Today and RIBA Insight bulletin. You can follow Kirstie on Twitter @KirstieColledge
Track and monitor competition Social networks offer several insights into your competitors. Follow the company profi le, the key people or like the page. You can see what their employees are doing, who they are talking to and what they are sharing. You can view their marcomms materials and how they are using each platform for marketing purposes. Of course, it’s up to you how you leverage such information, but it can help formulate your marketing and business development strategies.
Integrate with other marketing activity Whether it’s your blog, your Facebook fan page, your Twitter biography, your LinkedIn company page or your press release footer, all your online communications should mirror your other communications, including offl ine and traditional forms of marcomms. Remember that online communications should not be a standalone activity, and consistency across other marketing channels is fundamental. Social media communications should form a central part of any communications plan and should be integrated into any modern-day marketing strategy.
Social networking is about building relationships. My advice for the beginner is to try it out, participate, share, listen – and, most importantly, engage. As an individual, you can fi nd a niche and share an interest, get a new job, gain CPD points, and develop new business relationships. As a company, you can raise your PR profi le and generate real revenue for your business.
Follow CIMCIG on Twitter (@CIMCIG) or join CIMCIG’s LinkedIn group for more information and debate.
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