In an ever-evolving world where technology is rapidly replacing face-to-face interaction, businesses are having to learn new ways to connect with customers. That is where having an active social media presence comes in.
It is easy to see social media as just a platform to show your services without ever looking at the comments, but this is a surefire way to turn people off from your brand. A quick way to change that habit is to spend a few minutes every day interacting with your followers when they engage with your post.
“Interacting with people on my business pages has helped tremendously with engagement and to develop a more personal relationship with potential clients,” said Meagan Dean of Dean Quarter Horses and Red Mare Marketing. “I feel like giving my fans an insight into my life and personality will help them to feel more comfortable and therefore more willing to reach out to me with questions and inquiries.”
If you don’t get many comments or even reactions from followers, it may be worth re-evaluating what you are posting and how you can make them more interactive. Something as small as a word change or adding a question to encourage interaction can be the difference between no replies and a thoughtful conversation.
Another positive to this interaction is that it gets your business in front other others. If a person relates to a post, they are likely to share it on their own personal pages. This helps your brand get in front of other potential clients who may not have heard of you from traditional means.
On the same vein, you shouldn’t just interact with your followers in public. Don’t forget to check and reply to messages in your inboxes. It isn’t unusual for a prospective client to send a business a message to learn more about their services or even inquire about hiring your company. If you wouldn’t ignore a potential client over email or in person, don’t do it on social media.
“As of right now, inquiries on social media are the number one source of inquiries for my businesses,” Dean said. “Message platforms through social media are quite important to my business because it’s a fast, easy way for customers to make an inquiry or for me to send information. Being that many people have messaging programs on their phones means responses are generally instantaneous as well.”
Interacting with clients on social media may seem daunting but you can see massive benefits just by typing a few words or even hitting the “like” or “favorite” button. In a modern age where people rely on technology for interaction more than ever, a comment that takes two seconds to type can lead to a lifelong partnership.
While the method of communication with potential clients has changed over the years, the same principles still apply. People want to feel like any company they work with cares about them, not just regards them as another face in a line of clients.