Winter 2014
NETWORK NEWS
Page 10
Expert ad ice: How social
media has changed the
way we do business
Of all the recent technological
developments, it can be argued that
the one to have the largest impact on
business is the social platform. Like
them or not, social media channels have
transformed the way businesses conduct
commerce, handle public and customer
relations and promote brand identity.
Over 58 per cent of marketers who have
been using social media for three years
or longer say it has helped them boost
both the sales and lead generation for
their business - a trend that is only set
to increase over time.
The greatest task is knowing what channels to use. It is easy to turn to the most
popular ones Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn - and assume that the content
will work well. While it is important to use these three channels, businesses
often neglect the more niche opportunities such as Vine, Instagram, Reddit
and Pinterest.
Find your audience. Do some research into where people and businesses are
talking about the industry, your business or your customer's sectors so that
you can know where to build your communities online. It's all about research.
Websites, such as Followerwonk and Topsy, allow businesses to search for key
criteria for people and businesses on Twitter. This can include interests, areas
of business, or geographical areas.
The best place to look for your audience, however, is on the social networks
themselves, searching for keywords such as 'logistics' or 'haulage'. Once the
audience is determined you can begin to interact with them effectively.
Tone of voice. It is important to define the tone in which your business will
be engaging with others online; whether this is formal or chatty and friendly.
More often than not a friendly and conversational tone of voice is the most
successful. This is because customers and the media want to know that they
are communicating with an individual person rather than a robot generating
automated responses. Think about what you want to sound like online and
the tone in which your customers would prefer to be addressed.
Complaints are suddenly in full view and the risk of ignoring them is too great
and it is vital for businesses to understand the need for a structured customer
service process. If your business doesn't have a structure in place, search
social media sites for mentions of your business; good or bad, it can give you
insight into what customers and the media are saying online.
When it comes to social media communications it is important to remember
that there is no one-size-fits-all solution; every single social media campaign
must be personalised and unique to the company's needs and to the audience.
When using social media for business, the most important thing to remember
is that it is a marathon, not a sprint.
Here are six top tips for Palletways members
to make the most of social media:
Lancaster-based Kidds Transport has
renewed its membership with Palletways.
The company, which was established more
than 50 years ago and provides haulage
services for local, national and international
companies across the UK, has been part
of the Palletways network since 2008. The
company has a 35-strong vehicle fleet and
employs over 50 members of staff.
Simon Park, Operations Director at Kidds
Transport, said: "The support that the
network offers has helped our company
grow and we are looking forward to seeing
what developments lie ahead."
Craig Hibbert, Member Development
Director Palletways (UK) Ltd, added:
"We are extremely pleased that
Kidds Transport has decided to
extend and strengthen its ties to the
Palletways network. As the global
economy continues to improve
along with ongoing investment by
the Palletways Group, demand for
our palletised freight services will
continue to rise, providing significant
benefits to Kidds Transport along
with our other members."
Kidds strengthens ties
No Kidding -
member extends
contract
Jack Showell
Jack Showell, Digital Account Manager at JBP