Social media in today’s business world (Part I of II)

Social media: the technological giants taking over the way we communicate, interact with others and, dare I say, do business?

That’s right. The same platforms you lean on to connect with that old college friend, keep up with family and scroll mindlessly through – when you should be doing other things – can also be game changers for your professional life.The message behind this is twofold. Social networks are not only powerful tools for organizations as a whole, but for your own professional development as well.

At this point, I imagine a lot of you are thinking, “Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are just for fun. The real networking happens on LinkedIn.” In a way, you’re right. While LinkedIn has deemed itself – and rightfully so – THE place for professional networking, social sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can be just as influential.

Social media for your organization

Forty-five percent of the world population uses social media, and in the last year alone 388 million people have joined the phenomenon – up 9 percent from last year’s metrics.

On the business side of things, 90 percent of brands are using social media as tools to increase brand awareness, and more than 40 percent of all digital consumers are using social media to research those brands.

Gone are the days when Google was the main way people conducted their due diligence on brands. Instead, consumers now make their way to social networks for an inside look at organizations. While a website is and may remain an integral part of any organization’s success, social profiles often dive deeper into what a brand is all about – the people, the mission, the products and services.

If your organization is considering implementing or just ramping up its social media presence, ensure you’re approaching it with these goals in mind:

Attracting customers: Whether through a targeted Facebook ad, a boosted post or just an active Instagram and Twitter account, a strong social media strategy is sure to attract consumers to your brand. The big picture? It makes your organization more relatable and accessible.

Sell a product? Show it off! Give consumers a special screening. Your brand’s new clothing line on real people in real places … a shot of that new food or drink item you’re adding to the menu … a tutorial on how to use that new device. No matter what you’re selling, this is your chance to let potential customers know what life is like with your product in their hands.

Fall into the professional services category? Share valuable industry insights … help target audiences go inside the service you provide … and communicate with other organizations.

Whether in support of a product or a service, a savvy social media presence can only elevate your marketing strategy.

Internal recruiting: We’ve covered showing off your product or service, but what’s just as important is showing off your organization’s culture.

One thing we justifiably do a lot on Charles Aris social media channels is highlighting our team. Whether it’s an employment anniversary, a monthly accolade, welcoming new team members or just providing a behind-the-scenes look at the cool things our organization is up to at the moment, we believe in humanizing our brand. We don’t hesitate to let others know that, yes, we’re executive recruiters who fill mission-critical roles for our client organizations, but first and foremost we’re people who care about each other and what we do together on others’ behalf.

Anyone interested in joining our team can get an accurate glimpse of our organizational culture by visiting our pages on social networks along with our individual social profiles there. We are the faces and voices of Charles Aris … that’s what makes our (and your) organization unique and effective in partnership with others.

In Part II of this series on social media in today’s business world, we’ll move past what social media can do for your organization and dive into what it can do for your professional development. Watch this space for more!

by Sydney Olszewski 
Marketing Associate at Charles Aris Inc.

Original Source: USA – Charles Aris Inc.