7 Tips You Can Implement Today To Make Your Business More Social

So many people say, “I just never think to share things on social media,” or “We don’t have time to have everyone on our team playing on social media sites.”  The secret to freeing your social media from behind that locked marketing department door is to help everyone in your company learn to THINK SOCIAL. Once you start to see the world through social media glasses, you will see opportunities to be more social in small ways and in very little time.

Here are 7 things you can do to be more social in your business starting TODAY:

1. Talk about social media and how your consumers are using these new tools at your team meetings.

   What are people seeing?  Has anyone used or heard of a new social tool that your customers are using?  Simply letting your employees know that you have social media accounts is a big step for some organizations.  Let employees know how you intend to use the pages and profiles.  Encourage them to follow the posts and share any that they feel are appropriate.  Let them know that they are not required to like your Facebook page, but it is a great way for everyone to know what is going on.  This is a great time to discuss policies and procedures for sharing work information.  What is appropriate?  What are the goals for your company on social media?  (You obviously have to know these answers first!)

2. Divide and learn social media!

   You don’t all have to know everything about every tool, but why not assign team gurus.  Perhaps you have an Instagram Guru, a Pinterest Guru, a Vine Guru, a PicMonkey Guru, and the list goes on.  Have each “Guru” be responsible for teaching the team one new nugget at meetings.
   

3. Help customers be social with you.

   When you see a customer with their smartphone out trying to take a photo, understand they could be sharing that on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  Offering to take the photo FOR them and reminding them to tag your biz in it, shows you are in the know and wanting to be social with them. If they are scanning price tags, be sure your team understands how to handle those situations.
   

4. Help customers REVIEW on Social.

   If someone pays your team a compliment, teach your team members to respond with something like, “Thank you so much.  We appreciate and value your feedback.  If you are a Yelp, Trip Advisor, Facebook user, we’d love for you to post that on our page—it always helps.”   Have cards printed with your Yelp or TripAdvisor links to make it easier for your customers to review you on social.  When you get that compliment, you can hand them a card and thank them for their compliment.

5. Share helpful information on social media channels outside of your own content.

   When you are in a store and see a product your target audience would love. Snap a pic and share it! Perhaps you’re a realtor and you see outdoor lighting on sale at Home Depot, or you a book on the shelf that you know your audience would like, be sure and share it.  It takes seconds if you have your smart phone on you and your audience will see a fun, more social side to your business.  It doesn’t always have to be about YOUR products or services.
   

6. Share local events with your audience.

   You are probably already getting these messages or seeing the signs posted around the neighborhood.  Better than just forwarding the link to the concert in the park, snap a photo of the poster and add it to that post.

7. Be social at events.

   When there is an event going on, in or around your business, train everyone on your team to think social.  Taking photos is everyone’s job today.  They won’t all get used, but you will have more to choose from and share with your social audiences.  That brunch with Santa, the charity car wash your team participated in, the networking event the sales team attended, these are all situations that can be shared strategically with your online communities, but without a picture, it’s just not as fun to share.
   

When you start seeing the world with social glasses on, you will find more to share than ever before.  It doesn’t have to become a burden to one person when your whole organization thinks social!

How else do you incorporate social sharing in your everyday life?  We’d love to hear your ideas here!

@GinaSchreck