Recently, we posted an article by Melinda Emerson entitled, “Using Social Media to Test Your Idea Before You Try to Sell It.” In it, she discussed using social media as a market research tool. One of her readers commented on that blog, essentially stating that social media is not for everyone:
The social media thing such as Twitter, Facebook, Google, and others have done nothing for me. Personally, I think it is all just another money trap. I have spent thousands of dollars on marketing such as SEO, adwords, etc with little or no results. Everyone has got their hand out but no one has the ability or the experience much less the interest to help someone. Everyone is wrapped up in their own little world tweeting and facebooking. I have better luck with face-to-face meetings and referrals from people that know me. I would much rather spend the time and money with a face-to-face meeting than anything else.
This particular business owner is a private investigator. Someone wanting to track a cheating spouse or check the background of their new nanny might not want to “like” a PI on Facebook. There are many businesses that might be considered too taboo for instant social media success. Perhaps you own a med spa that specializes in Botox or hair replacement therapy. Maybe you are a doctor specializing in infertility treatments or hormone therapy for sexual dysfunction. Potential clients concerned about their privacy may not want to interact on social media platforms in certain cases.
Your business’ success isn’t always measured by the number of fans on Facebook or followers on Twitter. Here are five ways to improve your online presence when social media sites aren’t working for you:
1. Invest in a good website.
The first thing you want people to see when they search for your business is your website. If you don’t have a good website, people will see your Yelp reviews or other local business directories first. The information they find there might not be accurate, and in the case of some misguided reviews, may even be negative.
2. Use Your Keywords.
People searching for the services you provide are going to use certain words in their search. They might include the city name. For example, “San Francisco Gynecologist”. Be sure you know the common search terms so you can include them on your site. Google Keywords Estimator is a great tool to see common and related terms, as well as the frequency with which people are searching.
3. Invest in Social Media Well.
Everyone is talking about Pinterest, but it may not be useful if you’re not a highly visual business. Sure, many businesses can benefit from posting motivational quotes and helpful household tips, but there’s no guarantee the people repinning your images are likely to use your services, or even live near your office. It could end up being a waste of time and money.
However, many prospective clients do a little investigating before they choose a business. People often search for your business on the tools they use most. Businesses are now expected to be on Facebook and Twitter as the bare minimum to show people your business is active and healthy. You’ll want to set up Facebook and Twitter pages and post to them regularly, even if you’re not getting a lot of replies, just to let people know you are keeping up with the times.
4. Start Blogging.
As we mentioned earlier, having the right keywords on your website is really important to helping people find you. The more you list these keywords on your site, the higher you’ll rank in search engines. The same goes for the number of pages on your site: the more the merrier. You can automatically create new pages and frequently mention keywords by blogging regularly.
5. Share Helpful Content.
People aren’t only coming to your website to check out your business; they’re also looking for information. The more information you have on your website, the longer people will stay there, and the more inclined they will be to see you as the expert.
You can use social media profiles to direct traffic to your website, but don’t be disappointed if you aren’t attracting a lot of “likes” on your Facebook page. You can use tools like Google Analytics to track traffic sources to your website so you can determine which social media sites are best suited for your business. For some companies, it can take months of engagement on social media sites to build trust and earn public comments and responses.
Do you consider your business too taboo for social media? Tell us about the issues you’re facing and let Social Sonar help build a social media marketing plan for you!
