Social Media: Relationships First, ROI Later

Social Media: Relationships First, ROI Later

Every business wants to make sure that they are spending their money on marketing tactics that will give them money in return, otherwise known as ROI. Businesses want to make a profit off of their investment, and many businesses implement different tools in order to track the ROI on their marketing tactics. Some companies put different phone numbers on their collateral to track which piece garnered the call. Some companies simply ask, “How did you hear about us?”, when people call or visit the company. And some use tools like Google Analytics to learn more about their online tactics.

When it comes to social media, many businesses are simply seeing it as a way to earn money. They’re using tools like SocialEye in order to track leads and conversions from social media. If companies aren’t seeing a good enough return, they may stop putting money towards social media.

The problem with this way of thinking is that social media isn’t solely about generating business. Instead, it’s about building relationships with your customers.

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Communicate with your customers.

Social media is social. It’s a way for you to communicate with your customers, provide them with information, teach them about your business, and give them a place to reach out to when they’re in need of your assistance.

Your posts shouldn’t always try to generate a sale from your customers. If your content is always self-promoting, it will deter people from visiting your page. Plus, you need to keep your content engaging in order for it to reach people. For example, Facebook uses a special algorithm to determine whether or not your post is placed in front of all of your fans. Posts that gain a great deal of comments or those that use video or images are more likely to be seen by more people than those that simply make a plain statement.

Tell your fans and followers what’s going on in your office today or what your plans are for the weekend. If a customer posts something on your page or mentions you in a tweet, respond. Have fun with social media and use it to communicate with your customers. If they enjoy the experience they have with you, they’ll be more likely to return to your business when they’re in need of your services.

Become a real business, not just brick and mortar.

When you build a relationship with your fans, you become more than a business. Your company now has a personality, and your fans or followers see you as more than just a robotic organization. When your customers can interact with you and have a great experience, they’ll be more likely to share your information and your offerings with their friends.

Happy customers are advocates of your brand, and if they share how happy they are with your company, their friends will be more compelled to check you out. This is how you gain more fans, build more relationships with new people, and possibly earn more conversions.

Think of social media as a hub for customer service.

Making sure that your customer is happy should always be your number one priority, and social media can help you learn exactly how your customers (or the general public) feel about you and your business.

Use it to listen to what is being said about your company. Treat social media as a way to help alleviate any issues or clear up any confusion your customers may have. When you give your customers a place to turn to for help, it will prove to them that you care about what happens with your customers after they have your product or service, and it shows that you want to provide the best for those who purchase from you. Offering great customer service goes much further than talking about how great your products or services are.

Once they’re happy, ROI will come.

Social media shouldn’t have dollar signs attached to it. Instead, you should be more concerned about the experience and relationship you’re building with your customers through these channels. Once you have successfully garnered their attention and provided them with a great online experience, they’ll use this experience when it comes time to make a purchasing decision.

The use of social media as a marketing tool is never going to have quick conversion results like your other marketing tactics. An individual is not going to visit your Facebook page or Twitter feed and make a purchase within seconds. They’re going to peruse these channels to see what your company is doing, how you’re acting, how you’re treating your customers and learn more about you. If you use these channels to give these individuals what they want—information, support, personality—it will eventually pay off in the end. A happy customer is a loyal customer, and it’s much better to take the time and build these relationships in order to create more loyal customers.

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7 Comments

  • avatar

    Having good relationships with your customers is very important everywhere in life. The first rule of selling is respect your customer more than he respects you. This can get you far. Good article.

  • avatar
    vida_llevares 

    on 

    I agree with you. The financial ROI on social media marketing may have a longer turnaround time. But, the establishment of social relationships is also an ROI by itself. These social relationships will, later, turn into income and revenue for the company.

  • avatar

    The social media is hottest trend today and maybe for more years to come. Its like an investment for the future. It pays to know your customer, a solid relationship will help to enforce a mass who will appreciate your business. After all this is a part of internet marketing but should handled easily or it will look fake and will not give any benefit at all.

  • avatar

    Excellent post. Social media is all about relationships. I am just now starting to use social media for my business and want to use it wisely. Understanding what social media is all about is key. As Gomer said, people are more likely to want to buy from a friend than someone they don’t know or think they can trust.

  • avatar

    Hey Jacob,
    Thanks for the article. This is a good point. Most people who try to start a business these days, especially an online business, want to make money as soon as possible. They forget that it takes time to build a real business. Most businesses don’t see any profit for months or even years when they first start. You need to build that customer base and make them loyal. Loyal customers is what makes a stable, lasting business.

  • avatar

    Brilliant article, Jacob. The keyword here is relationships. If you wish to use social media to brand or promote your business, don’t forget that the secret is in the relationships you build. This doesn’t mean just customers, either, but with prospects. Remember, people will buy from a friend or someone they feel is a friend faster than they will from a stranger. Build rapport with your audience by interacting with them regularly and not just to sell to them. People don’t like to be sold to but they don’t mind paying for a solution to their problem, especially if they like the seller.

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