But believe it or not, some businesses have decided that investing in social media is not for them. One of them is Capital Offset Co. Inc. in Concord. The company has both a Facebook and Twitter account, but the last time either was updated was June 2011.
For me, it's about time, since it would probably be me doing it. Sometimes at the end of the day I'll go to my Facebook page and if I feel witty I'll write something, but I'm not one just to talk without something substantive to comment on, says Jay Stewart, owner of the third generation family printing company. Stewart was posting a project a month, but says he can't justify the time and money it would take to launch a full-blown media campaign. Plus, he says, his target market is narrow and generally involves one-on-one sales efforts.
Asked whether all businesses really need social media as part of their marketing efforts, social media experts are more nuanced than a simple yes or no. They say it depends on what the company does, its goals for social media, what audience it wishes to reach and then identifying the appropriate social media channels. Companies need a written social media policy to direct what can and cannot be shared online, says James Reidy, an employment attorney with Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green in Manchester.
Making a Business Case
If there is a case to be made for all companies having a social media presence it is this: Search engines are the new Yellow Pages, and online search engines rank companies by online activity. My gut answer is to say that everyone should be [on social media], says Allen Voivod, co-owner of Epiphanies Inc., a social marketing firm in Gilford. And I'm not saying that just because I'm in social media and I'm saying, it's so great and everyone should be on it.' It's actually more from the way the Internet [functions]-and specifically search engines like Google and Bing-how important they consider social media networks in their search results. So being on social media is really kind of vital to being found online, he says.
Search engine ranking comes down to two things, explains Matt Sullivan, who runs inboundstrategy.com, a social media marketing blog. The first is posting content and relevant key words on your website so search engines know what the business is being ranked for. The second, he says, is inbound links-the links a company has on the Web pointing to its site. It is like a vote-the more votes, the higher the company shows up in search results.
While being found is important, networking and outreach are different for every business. Take Cheshire Family Funeral Home in West Swanzey. It has a website and a Facebook page with its name, but no other information or posts. Owner Tristan McKenna says much of his advertising is still done over the radio, in the newspaper and in church bulletins. McKenna says he just doesn't see the need to spend time on social media since most people aren't looking to social media when they need a funeral home.
While area social media experts agree that's likely the case, they also say businesses such as funeral homes, parking garages, business-to-business companies and the like could still benefit from a social media presence, it just takes looking at the purpose of social media differently.
Chuck Sink, owner of Chuck Sink Link in Contoocook, says social media is better thought of as a networking tool than direct advertising. In a traditional media campaign, a company has a direct message that gets 30 seconds on radio or television, for example, to influence a wide audience. Social media is more targeted, and more about building relationships with potential customers and clients.
A company can also position itself as a source of useful information, which can also help set it apart when a customer chooses a service provider. Voivod, using the example of a funeral home, says a funeral director could use a Facebook page or blog to impart helpful information about grieving or the logistics involved in planning a funeral.
Or, says Brian DeKoning, communications director of Vital Design in Portsmouth, a company can emphasize its community involvement. The strategic benefit of doing that kind of thing is really building connections with your community members, with the people who are on social media who are seeing your company as more than just a business that's providing a service or a product, says DeKoning, who is the firm's social media consultant. You're creating a personality for that business. You are identifying with your clients, your market, in ways that make your company human. Those are the kinds of things that can differentiate you when it comes time for someone to need your service.
Choosing Your Audience
Just as companies choose where to network and advertise in print media, they need to make similar decisions when it comes to social media to maximize the effectiveness of any social media campaign.
Stewart of Capital Offset says his company's narrow business-to-business audience does not seem to warrant a heavy Facebook presence. Well, the thing is, we're not a [business-to-consumer] business, and Facebook is probably largely more a [business-to-consumer] business I think, Stewart says.
Stewart has a point, DeKoning says. If you are a B-to-B company, it may be Facebook isn't a good idea, he says. If you're a business-to-consumer company, it may be that LinkedIn doesn't really matter for you. YouTube might be better or InstaGram [a mobile photo sharing service] might be better if you're a retailer marketing to women, for example, where style is important to you. I think it's really important to figure out what your company wants to accomplish, figure out where your audience is and then use those channels that make sense.
Facebook is approaching one billion users, making it a great place to start, Voivod says. If the goal is to grow your customer base or generate leads, he says Facebook is especially useful. As the third most-used search engine behind Google and YouTube, he says Twitter is an excellent way to see what clients are talking about and LinkedIn lets companies join and lead discussion groups.
DeKoning adds that a company can also use sites like YouTube to provide free seminars, trainings or demonstrations, which can help build a reputation as an expert in a field. And while social media sometimes offers the same information as a website-for instance pictures of a product or company event-the ability for people to share that photo and comment on it exponentially expands the reach. And outreach, not direct advertising, experts say, is what social media helps companies achieve when done correctly.
Current Issue - May 2024