By Joleene Moody
When it comes to social media, choosing the right platforms and having a full understanding of those platforms can be overwhelming. At WBOC’s September kick off meeting, Michelle Arbore, owner of Savvy Social Media of Rochester addressed just that with her presentation, Social Made Simple. From Facebook and Linked in to Pinterest and Twitter, Michelle talked about ways to determine which platform is right for your business.
“Not all businesses are created equal,” she said during her presentation. “What works for one business owner won’t work for another.”
When it comes to generating leads, the social media strategist suggested using LinkedIn.
“Interact with your new connections. When someone follows you, send him or her an e-mail, and thank them for connecting,” she recommended. “I have generated lots of consultations this way. Thanking them and introducing yourself shows them you genuinely care about the connection.”
This introduction often blurs with LinkedIn inbox spamming, a technique that new connections often use to try and sell their services immediately after a request to connect is accepted. Michelle said the difference between the two is sincerity. By penning a genuine, heartfelt hello, the receiver should see the difference between that hello and a spam letter.
Twitter users should recognize that the 140 character platform is the fastest way to get a response from a business that isn’t living up to their potential, or may have not shown up with the best customer service. As an example, Michelle cited how quickly airlines respond to customer complaints when they are posted on Twitter.
When it comes to social media, many attendees agreed that the constant change in platform use is the most frustrating. New trends, updates and sister platforms can cause stress to business owners, especially once they get a handle on managing one specific platform. In these instances, choosing a social media manager or strategist can significantly diminish frustration and help improve the productivity of business. By utilizing manager apps, conferring with experts and sharing strategies with your fellow entrepreneurs, one can reduce their workload and frustration level, simply by taking a step toward better management.
Michelle is the owner of Savvy Social Media, based in Rochester, N.Y. She offers social media creation, management and training. Learn more athttp://savvysocialmedia.net/.
