While networking on LinkedIn, I naturally get involved in various projects and try my best to collaborate with professionals. A short while ago, me and Trevor Ferree got in contact regarding his research. Trevor is participating in a startup incubator through NC State. During this program, he is looking to get advice from social media pros. His goal is to understand how companies leverage social media to drive business results. Trevor is also a Marketing analyst in IBM and a graduate of North Carolina State University.
Below is our interview. This honest talk could be eye-opening for emerging brands. It gives an insight of the power that social media offers for businesses.
Q&A: How companies leverage social media
Trevor 
Di
Trevor: How do you believe that social media adds value to a business?
Di: Online presence is crucial for any business right now. Social media channels are just a component of it but a very important one. This is how you get discovered. From improving your SEO, to having a platform to present your products and services, through starting a direct conversation with your audience. The value that social media presence brings doesn’t come close to any other marketing approach. The opportunities for niche audience targeting are powerful. They help businesses bring brand awareness, generate leads and conversions. Moreover, I’d say that going international has never been easier. Social media shopping allows businesses to get closer to that omni presence that everyone is aiming for. Shortly, this is how companies leverage social media.
Trevor: Has social media helped or hindered some businesses reputation?
Di: When done strategically, social media helps businesses. Otherwise it easily hinders reputation. For example, imagine a popular brand, known for decades, joins social media and just doesn’t get the usual buzz. That’s not because they are a not a reputable brand. It’s because they don’t navigate the algorithm right in order to reach their existing audience. Keeping social media accounts that don’t perform well surely affects the way people perceive a brand.
Is social media a customer service tool for businesses?
Di: Yes, I could say that. It’s a great tool to have a direct conversation with your existing and potential clients. But, of course, social media is much more than just that.
Trevor: Has a customer talked about a negative service or product experience on social media?
Di: Yes, it’s only natural that there would be both happy and unhappy customers. Providing feedback is much easier than before. I think this is a great opportunity for businesses to retain clients more effectively than before. With direct contact like this, businesses can make fast and easy fixes. Retain the customer before it’s too late and they’ve lost them.
Trevor: How does your business determine what ad topics to focus campaigns on?
Di: The key is to talk to your clients. They are from various fields and they have different goals. I explore my client’s needs and I examine their ideal audience. Then I think what this audience is most responsive to. The final result for an ad is a finely tuned mixture. I combine meeting my client’s needs and giving their audience exactly what they want.
Let’s get technical: How companies leverage social media
Trevor: Have you tracked particular keywords, topics or hashtags on social media?
Di: Definitely, yes. As a matter of fact, that’s a huge part of my work. Certainly, tracking is a crucial part of progress. That’s the thing with social media – you need to keep growing, to engage more people, to reach wider audience, to grow more followers. Without tracking and proper analytics, having a strategy is impossible. Above all, without a strategy, businesses waste time, money and efforts.
Trevor: What value does this information give you?
Di: Proper analytics give me the opportunity to optimize. This translates in wider reach, higher engagement rate, better targeting, lower cost
Trevor: How do you keep up with market conversations/topics to make sure that your business seems current or with the trends?
Di: Thanks to social media, news travel much faster and people get more engaged. There are vibrant communities with professionals that keep the discussions going. It’s easy to stay on top of things
Trevor: How much effort or resources are spent to stay up to date in these markets?
Di: I personally can’t measure this as staying on top of things comes naturally somehow. I am genuinely curious about this field. I don’t just sit down and start searching for what’s new. New information comes all the time from various channels, it’s everywhere
Trevor: Does someone pay for analysts’ reports within the market???
Di: Most social media platforms provide good insights about performance. In most cases that’s enough for optimization. I’ve tried using some services that provide further analysis but I found them not trustworthy. Therefore, finding flaws in the results makes me question the service provider. I don’t feel confident building a strategy based on the information they provide.
What KPIs are you tracking and reporting on related to social media?
Di: The most common ones are, of course, followers count, engagement rate, reach, impressions, website clicks, leads, conversions
Trevor: How are any of these KPIs tied to business value?
Di: Certainly, all of them are tied. Businesses use social media to reach more people. The goal is to put their brand out there, make it discoverable. Nowadays consumers don’t search for products. It’s companies’ responsibility and interest to show their products to consumers.
