“Social Media Has No Place in My Industry.” THINK AGAIN!
Posted on | January 27, 2010 | No Comments
“Social media doesn’t have a place in my business.” Ack! I cringe a little when I hear this sentence or variations of it. When I hear that – after the cringe – I wonder if those same people would have looked at the first computer and said, “Computers don’t have a place in my business.” Or, if the cavemen, when introduced to the first wheel, had said, “Wheels have no place in my life” (translated from caveman grunts and growls, of course). Not to say that social media is as revolutionary and BIG as the computer or the wheel, but ya’ know…
I’ve worked in marketing for almost a decade, touching nearly all facets of the field. I’ve also worked two very different industries: aviation and publishing. And although the publishing company was far more welcoming of the idea of using social media to promote their products and engage their audiences, I would have loved to challenge the aviation company to let me take the reigns of their social marketing. But, alas, they still have the same website design that I directed for them over 5 years ago, so let’s just say they have other priorities in front of them. What I’m driving at here is that any company in any industry should be able to find a use for social networking to enhance their online marketing activity, conduct some market research, or at the very least put up a Facebook Page and post some updates on a weekly basis.
As proof, I’ll take a few random industries as examples here to propose some practical examples of how social media could be used:
Health Care: A perfect use of social media in the health care field is consumer research. If you could put a blank canvas out to the world and ask your consumers what they think about your service, wouldn’t that be valuable information to you? Although it can be scary to hear negative feedback, taking it constructively to make improvements to your business is a great opportunity to improve your brand image and show your consumers that you care what they think. Plus, it’s A LOT cheaper than focus groups!
Manufacturing: If you manufacture products, either in the B2B or B2C sectors, you can find a place in social media. Don’t you want more customers to buy your products or use you as their sole provider of the product you create? Well, those same customers are spending a ton of time on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, so why aren’t you? Refusing to be where your customers are is a little like refusing to go to a trade show where you know all of your customers and potential customers will be. Kinda silly, huh? Give Twitter a try: create an profile with a name recognizable to your customers, and post daily insights about your company, some breaking news, words from your CEO, and start following people who are in your same industry. Just showing that you are engaged in the greater community, and not just a name, infuses some personality into your brand, and as we all know, we are more likely to buy from (and like) someone we can relate to.
Waste Removal: Ha ha, I’m not sure what made me think of this one, and I know it is far out there, but play along with me for a moment. No one likes to think of waste, and no one expects a waste removal company to be anything but a bunch of gruff guys who get rid of what we don’t want. So, buck that image and poke some fun at yourself. Create a Facebook Page, post daily updates on the weird items you discover on the sides of roads or in dumpsters. Invite your fans to share their own stories of clutter removal. What does this do for your company? Yeah, it’s not going to win a ton of business, but it turns you from a company that simply picks up garbage to humans who shares a sarcastic sort of “love” for what they do and cares about their customers have to say.
That last example, of course, was an extreme case, but hopefully you’ll re-think your decision to stay away from social media. There really is a place for you here! Just be creative, and as long as you don’t do anything to hurt your brand, you’ll come away with some good consumer feedback, maybe gain some new customers, and best of all, it’s free marketing!
P.S. Can you think of an industry that CAN’T use social media? Leave a comment here, and I’ll take on your challenge and attempt to prove you wrong.
P.S.S. Another blogger posted some cool charts to show the adoption of social media across different industries: http://masterthenewnet.com/how-small-businesses-leaders-use-social-media
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