1. #besocial
E d i t i o n I , A r t i c l e I N o v e m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 4
Alec Wagley
CEO, Founder of
Social Innovations
(image source: https://placester.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Remarkable.jpg)
about what they had for lunch, the new tricks
their cat can do, and their favorite places to
eat. Why does this matter to you as a business
owner? Because people are also talking about
their experiences with your business, and their
opinions matter. Social media has taken that
single voice that was once heard only through
word-of-mouth, and has taken it to the
masses. Their message is now amplified, and
you better listen. In this article, we will teach
you how to implement social media into your
company, and how to be social on social media.
Jumping into social media is not an easy
task if you don’t know where to start. If you
are going to reach thousands or potentially
millions of people each day, you better have
it right. Olivier Blanchard, author of Social
Media ROI, provides crucial advice to help
any business survive on social media. He
said, “Your business doesn’t plug into social
media. Social media plugs into your business”
(Blanchard, 2011). What does this mean? It
means that you can’t simply hope to create
a Facebook page, post every once in a while,
and grow a fan base that will rave about you
everyday. Blanchard argues that your company
has to eat, sleep, and breathe social media
in order to survive in this world of opinions.
How to Make Your Business Social
In marketing, there are two main types
of strategies: push and pull marketing. Push
marketing is pushing a message out to your
target audience in the hopes of getting them
to act. An example of this is a radio ad talking
about your new sale this weekend, or a
simple call to action post on Facebook. There
is no real human interaction. Pull marketing
is the act of drawing your customers to you
through interaction and helping them have
the desire to purchase your product because
they see the need for it. An example of pull
marketing would be a doctor recommending
a certain drug, rather than having the drug
company push an advertisement out. Push
marketing has no real interaction and
pull marketing is all about interaction.
Why does this matter in social media? Because
you should not constantly push a message
out in the hopes of gaining new followers!
A company needs to find creative, new ways
to pull people to their social media through
different means of advertising. One of the most
effective ways is directing them to your social
media is when they are making the purchasing
decision, or interacting with your product.
Plugging Social Media Into Your Business
by, Alec Wagley
It was once said, “The best
advertising is done by
satisfied customers” (Kotler,
2014), but if no one hears
the customer’s voices, what
good does it do? Since
the creation of MySpace
in 2003 (Curtis, 2013),
people have been talking
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2. For example, a new customer comes to your
new restaurant to order one of your famous
Philly Cheesesteaks (see, now you’re hungry).
As your customer is waiting in line to pick up
their order, the cashier can direct them to
your social media page as they wait (as long
as it is up to date!), and help convert them to
your brand. Pull people to your social media
by directing them to your various social
platforms, and help them be brand loyal for life.
#besocial
This topic, in and of itself, would require
pages to understand, but I am going to share
with you one of the most important things I
have found with plugging your social media
into your business, and vice versa. In order
to successfully accomplish your social pull
strategy, you need to actively interact with
your audience. People want to hear that you
have a voice, and that they matter to you.
A great example for this was given on
Social Media Examiner (2014) recently,
with an interview by Scott Stratten,
author of “UnMarketing”. Scott recounts
an experience he had with his new
headphones after they broke. Accounting:
“He bought his son some Beats by Dre
headphones, which broke. Apple told
him that he would have to contact the
company directly. Scott was dreading
contacting them because he doesn’t like
to deal with customer service people, as
he’s conditioned himself to be ready for a
fight with them.
When Scott visited their website on his
phone, he discovered a customer support
Twitter handle. Scott tweeted them and
4 minutes later he had a response, which
included an apology, that said they
appreciated his purchase, and asked him
for a DM for his email address so they
could set up a return for him. Within
3 minutes, he received an email back
with an update, saying that they would
contact him again with instructions for
the return”. (Stelzner, 2014)
You need to have a voice, and you need to
interact with your customers. They want to
know that you care, and the best way to show
them is to interact with them and #besocial.
Small Steps
Social media can be a daunting task, but
when done correctly, it can be one of your
greatest tools. But don’t forget, “Social
media is an ingredient, not an entree” (Baer,
2010). With the right mix of ingredients
you can transform your marketing strategy
from a soup and a salad to a five course
meal. It all starts with plugging social
media into your business, and being social.
E d i t i o n I , A r t i c l e I N o v e m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 4
References
The Best Advertising Is Done By Satisfied Customers - Ben
Francia. (May 21, 2014). Retrieved November 11, 2014, from
http://www.benfrancia.com/entrepreneurship-2/the-best-advertis-
ing-is-done-by-satisfied-customers/
Social Media ROI: Blanchard, O. (2011). Social media ROI: Man-
aging and measuring social media efforts in your organization. In-
dianapolis, IN: Que.
The Brief History of Social Media. (2013). Retrieved November 08,
2014, from http://www2.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/NewMedia/Social-
Media/SocialMediaHistory.html
Stop Marketing, Start Engaging, With Scott Stratten. (March 14,
2014). Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://www.socialmedi-
aexaminer.com/stop-marketing-start-engaging-scott-stratten/
Top 5 Dangerous Realities of Social Media for Business, Jay Baer
(2010). Retrieved Novmmber 11, 2014 form http://www.convinceand-
convert.com/social-media-strategy/the-5-dangerous-realities-of-so-
cial-media-for-business/