Social media is out there, whether it’s connecting businesses with consumers or businesses to other businesses. If you’re an organization, it’s important to connect with like-minded companies to stay up-to-date. This post discusses the importance of connecting with companies in similar industries to keep current on industry trends and possibly help you connect with strategic partners.
First, let’s discuss the importance of social media for your business. Here are a few quick social media facts from a report titled “2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report” sponsored by the Social Media Examinar.
- 83% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business.
- The number one benefit of social media marketing is generating more business exposure.
- 85% of all businesses that have a dedicated social media platform as part of their marketing strategy reported an increase in their market exposure.
As you can see, the numbers prove that social media is crucial to the success of any business. In order to connect with like-minded companies, your organization should utilize the top platforms that other companies do. Currently, the primary social media outlets used by businesses are Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
The next thing that needs to happen is you need to know your business. Know your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. For example, if your organization is primarily a business-to-business company, use your social media networks to connect with other businesses and increase your visibility in the commercial market. On the other hand, if your organization is primarily business-to-consumer, do some research to see how other businesses are reaching out to their customers and follow the same format for your organization. Someone at your organization should be following similar company pages and seeing how often they update their social media pages, how often new content is produced, etc.
A great way to connect with similar companies is by creating a Social Media Marketing position. This person would be in control of all of your company’s social media outlets and would be able to build a network with other businesses. It’s definitely worth it for organizations to have a specialist in the ever-changing field of social media.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to connecting on social media. For more tips on connecting with other companies to stay up-to-date, contact one of our recruiters today!