Articles
Using Social Networks on Your Website
How Do They Help Your Business?
You may or may not be a fan of new social networking technologies such as Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Facebook. You should use them on your website only after careful consideration as to their purpose, maintenance and effect on your business.
Before including these tools on your website or spending valuable time Tweeting and endlessly updating your Facebook profile, think about the following:
- Are there regular updates that your visitors and clients can benefit from receiving?
- Who will be responsible for writing, updating or sending information?
- What content would you put on your social network and how often?
- Will the content be the same on each platform?
- Will these technologies enhance your service, increase your sales or improve your image?
- What do your clients want to know and what do you want them to know?
- Can you attract new clients via these technologies? How?
A Key Question
How often do you use these technologies and for what purpose?
Thinking of your own time restrictions may help you understand that your clients and visitors will want quality information.
Thinking about purchasing patterns or use of your services may help you identify how to use social networking to add real value to your business and your clients.
Before using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+ on your website, plan for their use as you would any other marketing tool.
If you decide to use the new technologies, don't forget to check their functionality and monitor how your clients are using them. Ensure regular updates so that visitors or recipients learn to trust they will receive information when expected.Final Thoughts
What you want to tell the world about yourself and your business may not be the same as what your visitors or followers want or need to know. Help them and you help your business.
Invest as much time in your social networking as it is worth to your company.