Social media is one of the most powerful ways for people to spread messages. Businesses have realized that they need to utilize it to reach many of their customers. However, many companies have found that it is a big learning curve and have been reluctant to tackle it. Many organizations are developing new programs to help local entrepreneurs craft a social media strategy that will make their business more successful.
Importance of Social Media Strategy
Social media is becoming an increasingly important way for businesses to connect with their customers. More than a billion people have created accounts on Facebook and about 500,000 have accounts with Twitter. There are dozens of other social networking sites that people use for various purposes. Most people have stopped reading the daily newspaper and go online to get their information. Many of them use Facebook and social news sites such as Reddit to get their information.
Many experts believe that print media is being slowly phased out. Companies are going to need more contemporary outreach strategies.
However, the rules for succeeding in social media are much different. These companies often need help acclimating to them.
Programs to Help Companies Develop a Social Media Strategy
Many nonprofit organizations realize that many businesses are struggling to develop a social media campaign. They have launched new programs to help teach them what they need to be successful. Here are some new initiatives that many organizations have developed:
- The University of Delaware’s Division of Professional and Continuing Education has created a new campaign to teach people how to use social media tools to engage with their customers more effectively.
- The Web and Interactive Media Professionals group in Sonoma County California is a non-profit initiative to help web professionals connect with people in their community. Some of the professionals have developed free seminars teaching companies what they need to do to reach their customer base on social media.
- Shepherd University is currently starting a new program to educate future PR professionals on the skills they need to help their employers with social media outreach.
Social media has become one of the best ways for companies to reach their customers. However, they need to be educated on how to utilize it effectively. Entrepreneurs need to taught not to give up on social media because they created a Facebook page and didn’t get any results. It is something that takes time and they need a good strategy to make it worth their while. These initiatives should help teach companies what they need to develop one.
Create a Social Media Strategy
You should develop a social media campaign to engage with your customers over the Internet. This may seem overwhelming if you don’t come from a technology related background. Fortunately, there are a number of resources that can help you. You may want to check with your local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Development Center. They often provide you with the resources you need to succeed.
