Regardless of whether you are a business or an individual, you probably come across many complex challenges associated with social media. These can sometimes be overwhelming and the temptation is to ignore them however if you do decide to tackle them where do you begin? Rather than becoming paralyzed, understand that there are four simple, yet critical steps to social media:

  1. Listen: Listen to your customer and conversations around your brand.social media for success
  2. Interact: Join the conversation.
  3. React: Adjust your product or service based on feedback.
  4. Sell: If you listen, interact, and react this will happen with less effort.

Companies often enter the social media fray and jump straight to step four – selling. This is the worst thing you can do, and it won’t be effective. You must start with listening since without listening, you won’t achieve success with the other three steps and as many have said before, there is a reason we have two ears and one mouth. After listening, then you have the appropriate baseline and credibility to join the conversation. Imagine if you were at a housewarming party and walked up to a group of four people already engaged in a conversation and said, “I’m not sure what you are talking about, but here is what I want to talk about.” You don’t want to be “that person” at the housewarming party and you don’t want to be “that person or company” in the socialsphere. Even those who have fully bought into listening, are you really practicing it? Does your MD receive a one-page weekly summary or “listening report” that gives high level data on what is being said about the product, service, or brand? What do people like? What don’t they like? Do you have a similar report for your competitors?

Many get the listening and interacting part correct, but then they commit a terrible crime. They don’t do anything (react) based on the suggestions and information gathered? If 90% of the people complain about a certain aspect of your product or service, it’s imperative that that issue is resolved, and resolved promptly. Conversely, if 90% of the conversation is centred around certain aspects of the product or service that people love, then it’s imperative that this information is placed in the appropriate hands (PR, production, sales, customer service).