How Businesses Should Utilize Technology And Social Media
By Jessica Oaks
If your business isn’t capitalizing on the massive boom in technological innovation and viral platform of social media, it’s time to change it up and seize this incredible opportunity to boost your company’s ROI. Social media has been an angel sent from the kingdom of cash flow because it truly generates some of the greatest returns on investment. And with technology supporting our increasingly mobile lifestyles, you can run a business leveraging the tools at your fingertips to benefit financial wealth. Here are just a handful of ways you should be using social media and technology for your business.
Advertise on Social Media
We now live in a world where targeting customers has never been easier thanks to the World Wide Web and data analytics. One of the most fruitful places to advertise is on social media. This includes targeted ads on Facebook, promoted tweets on Twitter, Snapchat videos for your demographic, or even better, a combination of cross platform advertising. Social media consumption has skyrocketed over the past few years, so why not advertise where the eyeballs (and wallets) are? Plus, ad dollars won’t go to waste because you can utilize consumer behavioral data to place digital ads for a relatively low cost compared to other channels.
Implement Synced Devices and Cloud Computing
Whether you’re a restaurant or a corporate office, optimizing business operations should be a top priority and can be done by implementing the latest and greatest technology. Synced technology and mobile devices give your employees a way to work more efficiently wherever they may be, which notably removes any bottlenecks that might be blocking a sale from being made. Time is money and when companies use cloud computing systems along with synced devices to store documents and collateral needed to run a business, the overall day to day runs more smoothly and ultimately leads to better conducted business on the front end.
Provide Customer Service Through Digital Platforms
Any business knows the customer is always right and integral to its success. Digital technologies like live chat, emails and social media are channels in which organizations can communicate in real time with their number one users and fans. When a customer tweets an inquiry or complaint, this opens up a huge window of opportunity for a brand to show that it cares, and by providing a quick response or solution back to the customer via that same platform, establishes a relationship built on trust. It’s free to use for the most part and is one of the most effective methods of executing excellent customer service.
Brand Engagement Through Social
Aside from utilizing social media to give great customer service, brands can also use it to engage their followers. Because social is a highly visual and conversational medium, building a brand’s voice and personality through pictures and posts is a strong way to engage an audience and establish strong brand presence. Additionally, social media can be used wisely as a way to encourage participation to increase brand investment. T-Mobile for example, does a great job not only responding to customer issues via their Twitter page but also runs various campaigns and contests with heavy social media integration. The service provider gave away the Galaxy Note 4 during the device launch and put on a social media campaign that helped potential customers create “break up” letters to their current carriers, which they could then share on social media announcing they’ve made the switch to T-Mobile (known as the “uncarrier”). This type of campaign not only gains viral visibility, it also engages consumers in an interactive manner.
There are countless ways to leverage the innovative technology and social media platforms we have today in business. Technology and social media has increased accessibility for both consumers and business owners. It’s a powerful tool to invest in and will guarantee a positive return.
Jessica Oaks is a freelance journalist who loves to cover technology news and the ways that technology makes life easier. She also blogs at FreshlyTechy.com. Check her out on Twitter @TechyJessy.
