When many people start thinking about their web-design they probably don’t consider social media an essential part of the jigsaw. However, in the modern day and age, it’s not just a part of the jigsaw – it’s the corner pieces that ensure you know where to start!

With millions of people around the world all connecting themselves to different social media channels every day, it’s no wonder that SEO experts and Social Media gurus are pointing towards social as one of the most important things for any budding web-entrepreneur.

But why? Isn’t social media just a place where people share mundane things happening in their lives? Post a joke that their boss told them and it made them chuckle a little? Comment on how cute their cousin’s baby looks in it’s new panda outfit?

Well, yes, it is all those things, but as web-businesses move forward, social media offers the perfect platform for you to engage with and connect with your customers on a personal, day-to-day basis. That means that no longer are they waiting for your monthly emailer where you point them towards 4 of your new products, checking out your brochure that drops on their doormat once a year or even waiting for you to make that annoying telesales call once a day – Social Media allows you to connect with people on a platform that they enjoy.

So, you’ve set up your business’ page on facebook, what next?

You need to make your page engaging and your content fresh. Give your page some personality and don’t act like the stiff dummy that drives your commercial interests. Interact with people, ask questions, it’ll all lead to ‘likes’ with will, hopefully in turn lead to sales.

But what about twitter?

If you can create content on twitter which gets retweeted and eventually goes viral then perhaps you’ll have reached the holy-grail in social media marketing. However, if you’re not quite able to do this (it’s hard!) then ensure your account has a bit of personality, and, one of the most important things – it’s slightly humorous. I understand that may seem a little difficult for some people to understand… but yes – you’re going to need to be funny if you want to be successful.

Check out the difference in approach from Paddy Power and Ladbrokes on twitter and see they different amount of followers they’ve amassed. It’s no wonder Ladbrokes’ recent approach has been to change towards a more funny marketing style is it? (The jury’s still out on whether it actually makes you laugh or not… I know.)

 

 

Enjoy your social media experience!