Make Your Business a Social Business for 2013

If you have not yet socialized your companies website then you could be falling behind the curve. The new buzzword for 2013 will be social business and it is worth paying attention to. Your customer is more interested in purchasing from a company they can interact with rather than one that has no social presence.

If you are a SME, we are not suggesting you change your business but simply integrate with an online strategy. Over 90% of people are more inclined to purchase from companies that are using a social media channel. For 67% of people, Facebook is their preferred social media channel. This from Accenture Interactive (@AccentureSocial) in a study released Nov 2012. Doesn't it just make sense to be active on a social site?

Kevin Casey notes in Facebook facts for SMBs that fans beget more fans. 56% are more likely to recommend a business of which they are a Facebook fan. Also, popularity produces sales-a whopping 51% are more likely to buy after becoming a fan. So, doesn't it make sense to know who your customer is, understand their social platform and publish authentic content they can like and become fans of? This is like word of mouth on steroids that produces sales.

Scott Stratten, President of UnMarketing reminds us that people are passive in person, yet aggressive online. They are not going to answer your survey online, they are not going to tell your employees anything they are going to vent online. This is the most viable type of feed back you can hope for. It is realtime, honest and raw. You are no longer B2B but P2P - Person to Person.

You have to stop running your business with ostrich marketing tactics. You need to get your head out of the sand and realize what is happening right now. Business communications is changing right before our eyes and we need to be able to change with it. Your customers want to hear from you. Trust me.

2013 is the year that your media and marketing changes forever. You need to get social. You need to create awesome experiences and creative things that get people finding, visiting, clicking, liking, following, sharing, tweeting and most importantly... talking. Because once people get talking to you and about you, that's when good things begin to happen.

You don't have to start big, but you do have to start.