Social Media Day: Why and How You Should Celebrate

On June 30 we celebrate Social Media Day to recognize and celebrate social media’s impact on global communication.

According to Statista, by 2021 there will be over three billion social media users worldwide. Many users log on once or multiple times per day to share photos or life events and to chat with their friends and family. With so many current and potential customers using these platforms, it’s important for businesses to not only have a presence, but to make an impact on these channels. Here are some reasons why you should take this holiday to heart and a few ways you can use social media year-round help increase your customer loyalty.

Interact With Customers

Before the advent of social media, when it became necessary to voice a complaint or ask a question, a customer usually only had an email address or phone number to call. Thanks to platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, companies now have an avenue for timely communication with customers that wasn’t available 20 years ago. Beyond immediacy, users get a first-hand view into your customer service how well you handle problems.

Although it’s easy to create profiles and throw up a post occasionally, this can actually backfire on your business. Customers regularly check social media accounts when they are considering different , and if your profile has unaddressed complaints and poor reviews, it can drive these potential customers away. In other cases, users will reach out via social media to ask a question, but if they are ignored they think you have poor customer service. Being active and regularly responding to customers puts your brand in a much more positive light with potential customers.

Foster Stronger Customer Loyalty

Repeat business and referrals are vital to any company because they cost significantly less than acquiring a new customer. One of the best ways to inspire customers to become brand-loyal is to keep your company’s name in the forefront of their minds. By regularly sharing content your audience cares about and interacting with customers if they comment on the post, they feel like they have a personal connection with your brand.

While you still need to provide top-notch customer service at all times, you can also couple it with a strong social media presence that constantly reinforces the positive experiences you aim to deliver. This will help keep your customers loyal to you rather than your competitors.

Keep Posts Unique and Engaging

It’s almost guaranteed that other businesses in your market segment are already harnessing the power of these platforms. The social media landscape changes very quickly, new platforms come and go, new opportunities arise, and strategies must evolve quickly to keep up. Even if it looks like your current social media strategies are working, staying stagnant over time can cause your followers to get bored and tune you out.

For example, always sharing news articles or funny photos with your audience can work for a while, but it’s important to mix it up to stay relevant. Try creating and sharing unique video content or creating infographics with interesting statistics. Not only will this type of content interest your current followers, they are more likely to share it with their friends which can increase your brand awareness.

Consider When to Post

No matter how great the content is you share on social media, if your audience doesn’t see it there won’t be much impact. Take the time to consider when your users are most likely to be on social media: are they night owls that are likely to see posts after 10 p.m., or working professionals who are likely to be less active during business hours? Also consider the day of the week: the middle of the week is typically slower than the weekends when people have more downtime.

If you aren’t sure the best time to post, check your business profile’s analytics: there you can see when users are online and interacting with your posts, and schedule them to go live during those times. Just remember to monitor comments and respond quickly once the post goes live.  And keep in mind if you’re posting on different platforms the same days and times that work for one may not work for the others.

Ways To Celebrate Social Media Day

Now you know why social media is so important and how to effectively engage customers on social media, you need a few ways to mark June 30 as a celebration of this helpful service. One of the best ways to observe this day is to significantly step up your game. When you take to Facebook, Twitter or another platform, try to do something new:

• Engage customers in a Twitter chat using a well-thought out hashtag
• Do a live stream video broadcast
• Host a special event for your customers that’s only advertised to your social media followers
• Host a giveaway or sweepstakes promotion
• Announce a new product launch or service offering
• Update your social media imagery to keep it fresh (profile pictures, cover photos, etc.)
• Integrate social media into your loyalty program by asking customers to follow you as part of the program

Being present on social media is no longer optional for companies of all sizes: customers expect brands to be active and responsive on a number of platforms. Failing to do so will result in reduced customer loyalty and poor brand reputation.