use of social networking in today’s business
DESCRIPTION
Today social networking commonly refers to all those activities that are carried out within specific online services that provide free space and software tools which allow creating networks of people. In other words, a social networking service is a Website that allows individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile. This article focuses on social networking websites and their impact on business. It aims to identify the importance of social media towards Business. This article also gives methods and risks of using social networking websites for businesses.TRANSCRIPT
USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING IN
TODAY’S BUSINESS
Prepared By,R. Latha
Sapthagiri College of Engineering, Periyanahalli.
Introduction
Social networking has revolutionized the way we communicate and share information with one another in today's society. Various social networking websites are being used by millions of people every day on a regular basis and it now seems that social networking is a part of everyday's personal and business life.
What is Social Media?Social media are the various forms of User generated content Collection of websites Applications that enable people to interact and share information online.
Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace)Professional connections (Linkedin)Blogs (Wordpress) Video sharing sites (YouTube) Photo sharing sites (Flickr) Crowd sourcing (Wikipedia) User reviews (Amazon)
Social Media Marketing Activities
Different types of social media are good for different marketing activities.
The key social media services are,
Face book - a social networking site that allows you to have conversations with customers, post photos and videos, promote special offers, and moreTwitter - a 'micro-blogging' service that allows you to send and receive short messages from customers and potential customers
YouTube - an online video-hosting service that lets people share their videos
Blogs - internet sites that contain a series of entries or 'posts' about topics of interest to the author, much like an online 'diary'
Coupon sites - websites that offer discount coupons for goods, services and events
Social Media Marketing Activities
Online photo-sharing services - websites that allow users to store, organise and share their photo collections
Location-based marketing sites - websites that deliver targeted marketing messages to customers in particular locations, through mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets
Customer review sites - websites that feature customer reviews of goods and services.
Developing applications for mobile devices.
Modifying websites to make sure that they work properly on mobile devices.
Giving customers the option of paying online.
Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, while he was a student at Harvard in 2004.
Eventually, the web site moved beyond college to everyone and nearly 1 billion people have a Facebook profile.
Facebook users can create a profile page that shows their friends and networks information about them-selves.
The choice to include a profile in a network means that everyone within that network can view the profile.
The profile typically includes Friends, Friends from other Networks, Information, Status, Notes, Groups, Likes, Photos, Videos and The Wall which is the major feature of Face book.
Why Facebook?According to a recent report by Merchant
Circle, 70% of businesses use Facebook. This is a 20% increase over the last year.
For the first time ever, Facebook is being used more than Google for online marketing.
Facebook updates are three more times effective than Tweets to propel online business.
Facebook dominates the check-in space with 32% of businesses using this feature.
YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE:
Create the page using name, logo, and branding Use as an outlet to display and share information in a fun, informal way (in conjunction with your homepage) Form relationships with people in your industry (and your clients’ clients) Showcase the “real” side of your business
GOOGLE+
Google+ is basically Google's latest attempt at creating a social network.
Unlike with Face book where uploading a post will show up on user’s profile for all of user’s friends to see, Google+ lets users do things a little differently.
Circles, Sparks and Hangouts are major features of Google+.
Twitter was started out as a micro-blogging website has quickly grown into a social messaging platform.
It is one of the top social networks in the world that allows users answer the question, "What are users doing?" by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called "tweets", to their friends, or "followers".
Why Twitter?Promote your mission and
cultureTwitter is the place to connect
with niche audiences pertinent to our business
Have conversations and build relationships with individuals in your industry—and clients’ too!
Monitor the competition – who are they following? Who’s following them? What are they up to?
LINKED IN
LinkedIn is a social networking website designed specifically for the business community with over 120 million members which were officially launched in May 2003.
A LinkedIn member’s profile page, which emphasizes their working experiences and education background, has professional network news feeds and a limited number of customizable modules.
Network members are also known as “connections” and unlike other social networking websites such as Face book or Twitter.
Why LinkedIn?
Trusted Contacts—When you are introduced to a contact by one of your trusted connections, you start the working relationship at a far better point than when you hire someone off the street. On LinkedIn you can quickly check references and interact with people who may have provided a prospective employee a recommendation.
Information & Contacts—Do we need a more effective solution on a business project or need? Who can get the job done effectively? LinkedIn is a professional network that can introduce you to new resources and professionals.
YOU TUBE
Link channel to the main homepage, Face book, LinkedIn and your professional blog.
Tweet and update about your videos!
Focus on SEO: Optimize video text and descriptions with keywords and links back to your homepage.
Why YouTube?
Market Your organization to millions of people, no
big budget required. Required? A video camera and a little creativity!
Inform Your company mission and values.
Educate ”How-to” or a service demo
Entertain Show off our past events and work!
Integrating Your Website
• Add Face book, Twitter, and LinkedIn buttons to your homepage (and to all social media sites)
• Add Face book, Twitter, and LinkedIn buttons to your marketing collateral and email signatures
• Add email subscription applications to your Face book, homepage, and blog
Why Is Social Media So Important For Businesses?
It gives businesses the ability to find out what people are saying about them (and others) in their industries.
It introduces your brand.It gives you feedback about your brand.It provides a test audience (vs. focus
groups).Solidifies your reputation as a valuable
and knowledgeable resource.
How To Use Social Networking Websites For Business
Creating Groups And Events Creating A Profile And Page Creating DiscussionsBanner Ad Advertising
Benefits Of Using Social Network Websites For Business
Online Presence And Branding
Customer Service And Engagement
Lower Cost/Free Advertising
Find Business Partners Or Employees
Risks Of Using Social Media
The rapid spread of the wrong kind of information about your business (e.g. incorrect information accidentally posted by you, negative reviews posted by others)
Legal problems if you don't follow privacy legislation and the laws regarding spam, copyright and other online issues.
Conclusion
It’s hard for most college students to remember a time before social networks.
Half of Face book’s 500 million users will log in on any given day.
On that same day 65 million tweets are sent.
The last 10 years have witnessed major advancements in global communication.
Social networking websites are becoming popular among current generation.
ConclusionEven there are many opportunities as
well as challenges of social networking websites for business.
Most important step for any business is to create a policy of using social networking websites.
Businesses are struggling with rapidly developing of technology.
Technology is constantly changing the way of doing business at internet and businesses should be aware of these changes.
