Figuring out how best to engage your customers can seem a confusing and daunting task at times with the multitude of in person and virtual avenues. However, maintaining and growing your business depends on your business’ success in this area. So today, I’m going to share five ways you can get a great conversation about your local business started.
- Use Twitter to its fullest potential by entering into direct conversations with your followers. Respond to any re-tweets or mentions your local business receives. Occasionally, review your followers and send a question to a few of them on a particular topic. Remember to try to make those following your business feel special and rewarded for their interest in your business.
- Solicit feedback from those who “like” your business on Facebook. Has your business recently released a new product? Why not ask for feedback on it? Remember to address as necessary any negative feedback and consider offering a small reward to all those who participate.
- Gain some positive press on YouTube by asking an established personality (i.e. one with a good YouTube following) and some type of interest or tie in your product to provide a review of it. This is definitely a low cost way to gain some new exposure; you just need to ensure you provide your product samples to the reviewer.
- End your blog posts with questions. Ensure you’re letting readers know you want their thoughts and involvement. Note, if readers seem hesitant to get the conversation rolling, consider a small giveaway to entice folks to start sharing. Often, once a few comments, others “sitting on the sidelines” will jump in too!
- Make a game of exploring your local business website. Your business website is filled with great content, but you may be finding your customers aren’t spending much time on your site. Therefore, they aren’t finding it. By creating a game and providing a little incentive, not only will you help ensure your customers are looking at your website, but you may find they are also sharing your site with their friends so they can participate too. In order to get maximum impact, you’ll need to plan ahead and ensure you’ve marketed the activity sufficiently. Therefore, spend a little time to create a fun quiz or scavenger hunt and begin publicizing the game with your walk-in customers as well as via social media platforms.
For more great tips, consider reading “10 Ways to Get Your Customers Talking” as posted on Social Media Today.
Chris Marentis is the founder and CEO of the Surefire Social Marketing System.