What is Social Media Engagement and Why it Matters for your Business

A common objection that businesses have to social media marketing is that there is no way to measure theSocial Media Engagement impact of social media marketing. Or that they don’t understand the value of social media engagement and how it affects their business. In this blog post, I’ll provide insight on what social media engagement is and why it matters to your business. A recent survey of 45 CMOs by Esteban Kolsky found that the majority how to start a social media marketing business of CMOs didn’t know the definition of engagement. Without an understanding of engagement, it’s difficult to understand the value of social media marketing, making it really difficult to measure the impact. Engagement can be defined and measured in many ways. In the simplest terms, engagement is the interaction between people and brands on social networks. For example, on Facebook, engagement includes likes, comments and shares. It’s important to note that engagement takes time and requires trust. Kolsky shares that it happens over time because it is “a function of trust and knowledge.” So it’s important for businesses to be patient. But also for businesses to understand that they need to create valuable content, experience and relationships to build their social media engagement. Consumers will how to social media marketing connect and engage with a brand on social media if there is something in it for them. It’s not about the business; it’s about the customer. Businesses need to provide valuable content for their consumers, and to be helpful, personal and authentic. Overtime this will build trust and prove expertise. Jason Falls, defines engagement as “communicating well enough that the audience pays attention.” This definition shows the importance of why businesses need to create valuable content for their social community and present it in a way that works for that social network. In simpler terms, engagement is a two-way conversation. That’s one of the great benefits of social media; consumers can have a relationship with their favorite brand, business or store and have a two-way conversation.

What Is Social Networking in Management?

Most of us are familiar with social networking sites that allow people to share information, interests, activities, photos, and much more with other people in their network. You may use a social network platform to interact with your friends, family, professors, or business colleagues. Social networking has already transformed the business world, making it easier for managers, job seekers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and others to establish social media marketing 2014 and maintain beneficial connections. These sites offer an attractive alternative to the slower, more formal communication channels of the past. We have all seen how businesses now market and advertise their products through sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Managers also use social networking sites to efficiently communicate with individuals inside and outside their organization. One of the most commonly used social networking sites in the business world is LinkedIn. In use for the past ten years, LinkedIn allows professionals to network with each other and currently has more than 200 million users around the world. Many job seekers find LinkedIn to be a valuable tool in their employment searches. Google+ is another popular business networking site, and there are many more specialized sites, such as "PartnerUp for business best social media marketing entrepreneurs. Since there are now so many social networking sites, businesses need to devote resources to choosing the right platform for their needs and identifying how to take full advantage of the available features. Some social networking sites may be more suited to marketing, while others may be a better option for fostering teamwork and online collaboration.

Social Media and How Each Can Benefit Your Business

This type of social network is defined by the primary type of media shared among users. Facebook and Twitter have amazing video and image-sharing capabilities; however, the majority of posts shared on these channels contain text. For channels such as Flickr or Instagram, however, images are the main focus—users have to choose, upload and edit image files before proceeding with anything else, such as captions or mentions of other users. Similarly, marketing by social media with sites such as YouTube and Vimeo, or apps like Vine and Snapchat, video is the primary mode of communication. Location-based review services such as Yelp and Urbanspoon are getting more traction as personal social networks adopt geolocation, and more users choose to consult the Internet along with their friends for recommendations of best dining spots. There are sites to review anything from hotels, restaurant or your latest employer—and user reviews have more weight than ever before. Sites like Airbnb and Uber, the biggest service providers in the emerging sharing economy, rely largely on host and driver reviews, respectively, to determine who benefits from the service. It’s vital for your brand to have the ability to leverage user reviews, whether positive or negative, to maintain client relationships. The Internet is a huge collective knowledge base, and more and more consumers choose to consult the public opinion online to determine whether the brand is worth their business. In order social media marketing to do this in a cost-effective way, select a customer success team member to address reviews on sites relevant for your business. Entrust them with answering any questions or concerns from clients with average or dissatisfactory experiences, and see if there is anything that can be done on your end to turn a possible detractor into a fan. For more on this topic, read our blog posts on how to respond to negative reviews and online reputation management.