Be More Social and Avoid Being Remote

Whether you sell products or services or are looking to buy them, social media can be a treasure trove of opportunities for you.

While there are obviously other ways to promote and/or shop for goods, social media is beneficial to both the buyer and the seller for the simple factor that it is so accessible. Throw in the fact that using it is essentially free, and it can be a win-win for companies and consumers.

With that said, are both companies and consumers taking advantage of social networking? If not, how can they better position themselves to do just that?

Be Active and Alert

When it comes down to the business owner, he or she can benefit greatly from even just minimal action on social media. Now, imagine if they’re active on social networking sites regularly?

In order to benefit as a company from social, make sure you:

• Engage regularly – To increase the chances of being truly effective on social media, make sure to engage consumers regularly. Doing this benefits you for several reasons, including regular interaction, being seen as authoritative in your respective industry, and someone who takes an interest in consumer matters;


• Don’t push sales – Whether you are promoting auto insurance, FiOS TV, legal services, cars and trucks for sale or hundreds of any other products and services, don’t come across as a salesperson from the start. Consumers are literally inundated daily with flyers, emails, regular mailings, and even ads on various social sites trying to entice them to buy. If you push the sale right from the get-go, you stand a good chance of pushing the individual away.

In order to benefit as a consumer from social, make sure you:

• Search the social world – A larger number of companies are finding that being busy on social networking sites truly does matter. As a result, you stand to benefit when you know where to find them. While Facebook and Twitter are the respective kings of the social world, don’t forget to look for company representation on sites such as Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and more. The more social you are, the greater chance of finding the right deal;


• Network with others – Since you can’t be on all the popular social sites at once (unless you have a bunch of free time on your hands), it is a good idea to network with other consumers. As an example, in the event you are a regular on Twitter, follow other users with similar interests and buying habits as yourself. Maybe you will miss out initially on a certain company’s announcement about a sale or upcoming new release, but others you follow will have the scoop. The more networking you do the better chance of scoring savings.

While some companies and consumers don’t have time for social media, many others use it as one of their main resources for selling and buying goods and services.

When you’re more social, everyone stands to benefit.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of nokhoog_buchachon at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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