How important is social media to your business?

Social Media Networking divides opinion. Some companies have dedicated Twitter account handlers, some have facebook pages as a token gesture and some haven't got a clue what all the fuss is about!

Put simply, social media does not suit all companies. For example if you sell zimmer frames there is a good chance that your customer base haven't even heard of Facebook or Twitter! Similarly websites such as http://www.fondfarewellfuneralstationery.co.uk/ which sells personalised funeral stationery would not benefit from a Facebook page. People just don't want to 'Like' a funeral related website! The site also won't have a large base of repeat customers due to the nature of the products. Therefore there is no benefit in having a group of customers that you can communicate to through Facebook.

On the other hand personalised greeting card and gift site http://www.winstonandharry.com/ is well positioned to benefit from using Facebook and Twitter. Both sites allows customers to be kept up to date with offers and promotions which can lead to repeat business. The core market for a personalised gifts website is 18-40 year olds, so it is likely that customers are familiar with, and use Facebook or Twitter.

Both the examples so far have been of businesses selling to the public - i.e. business to consumer. However a lot of business is done between businesses, i.e. business to business selling. Again social media will suit some more than others. For example if the company is in a very niche market with only a hand full of very large customers there is little need for them to adopt any social media marketing. However companies selling products which are in high demand can benefit. For example Marstan Press is a Litho and Digital Printing Company based in Kent. There is a good chance that a lot of people know someone who buys print for their company, bearing in mind that most companies have some level of digital or litho printing requirement. By building up a network of followers Marstan Press is able to communicate offers and promotions very easily, such as the recently relaunched Refer a Friend Scheme. Marstan's followers can then Retweet or repost the promotion so that Marstan's message is seen by more than just it's own followers. Indeed all news stories on the Marstan Press website have social network 'buttons' which allow visitors to easily post the story to their own facebook wall, Stumbleupon account or Twitter account.

In my opinion, Linkedin provides the best tool for businesses. Essentially it is a business version of Facebook, where you add people you've done business with. You can see who your connections are linked to and ask for introductions and referrals. Its a great way of identifying people in a certain role, and if used actively can prove to be an essential business tool.