Sydney 10 June 2015: It doesn’t matter what line of business you are in, social media has already made its mark in it. If your business hasn’t entered the social media realm yet, it might be time to make a splash. Social media opens your business up to new demographics and allows you to interact directly with customers. If you’re not quite sure where to start or what platforms would best suit you, seek out the help of a professional company like The Print Group who can help you manage your social media strategy. Read on to discover four expert tips for creating a social media presence for your business.

1. Talk directly with your customers

Whatever the size of your business, it can sometimes be difficult to reach out to customers on a personal level. By introducing a social media account for your business, you are creating a direct line to your customers, providing them with targeted marketing and the opportunity to engage with you and your products and services. Allowing your customers to provide instantaneous feedback is pretty much the best qualitative research for your business! For expert advice on how to set up your account, click here.

2. Get research reports from your online customers

Many social media platforms offer reporting so you can receive instant feedback on the success of your content. You can see what level of interaction you have, what content is most popular and therefore work out what your customers want to see. These reports allow you to directly target your social media audience and are likely to increase your sales. Getting all this through a free social media account is a pretty hard opportunity to pass up.

3. Let your customers do the advertising for you

Nothing is as valuable as an honest testimonial, so encourage your customers to review you. Their friends will see their activity, so they are effectively providing you with free advertising to their networks, who likely share similar interests and are therefore possible future customers. Encouraging interaction on your page can really work in your favour by increasing your credibility and making you more transparent to your audience.

4. Help build your business’s brand

Many people think steering clear of social media will avoid bad press, but here’s a sneaky secret: just because you aren’t on there doesn’t mean people aren’t already talking about you! Having a social media presence under your own control gives you the opportunity to have a say about your business and to acknowledge bad (and good) feedback. A company that handles a social media complaint quickly, honestly and with humility can benefit as a result. So don’t be afraid to dive in there.

Social media can be an effective method of increasing your customer base and sales. You may wish to seek some expert advice, but social media is a fantastic branding and marketing tool that you shouldn’t be afraid to use.