5 Ways to Take Advantage of Social Media

If you’re like most savvy executives, you’ve learned a few things about blogging, social networks, online video, podcasting, widgets, photo sharing, virtual worlds, wikis, social bookmarking, social news, brand monitoring, discussion boards, and user-generated content. The list goes on and on and is growing every day. Social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn are here to stay.

You are not alone if you try to wrap your mind around social media and the opportunities it can have for your business. With so many social media channels in the marketplace, you may not know how or where to begin. Learning how to leverage social media is a MUST if you want to stay competitive in today’s environment. But don’t just jump into it without having the right strategy. Here is some information and points to consider before taking the leap:

1. Listening – this is a great opportunity to understand your customers, visitors, donor, and monitor what they are saying about you and address their needs and wants.

2. Talking – spread the word about what your company is doing, new launches, products, press releases, etc.

3. Energizing – reach out to your most loyal customers, let them know they are valued, and they will continue to sing your praises

4. Supporting – provide a platform where your product users can support each other, ask and answer another’s questions

5. Embracing – after mastering the other found steps, allow your most engaged customers into your workspace. This is a great opportunity to get feedback before products go to market.