Weekly Advice: So What? Who Cares About Social Media?

Why should I care about social media? Since I started BridalTweet, I've heard that question time and again. While some wedding professionals have started to truly leverage social media, others are still skeptical. I continue to wholeheartedly stand behind social media because I've personally experienced its benefits. I could list those benefits out for you but instead there is really one main benefit that I don’t think has gotten enough attention yet.
It’s the human element of social media. Social media humanizes and brings a personal touch to brands and businesses. This enables you to build trust with your audience. And it enables your personality and expertise to stand out. This is great news for everyone, but what should you do about it?

Do: Remember that social media is about people and relationships. It is not about the number of followers or friends that you have. Once you lose sight of that and get caught up in the numbers, you will start to miss out on the powerful connections that can help grow your business.

Do: Remember that your social media efforts are an extension of your other branding efforts. So, how do you want to be perceived? Think about the image that you have worked so hard to create through your website, business cards, and personal interactions. That same image needs to be conveyed across all of your social media profiles, blog posts, avatars, chats, photos, videos, online interactions, etc.

Do: Remain professional. It sounds obvious but I constantly see professional blog posts and emails with typos. All sentences should be clear and correct. The simple act of proofreading your communications will help to build trust with prospective brides and vendors. Responding quickly to emails and thanking others for their acknowledgements also falls under being professional. Treat your social network with as much respect as you would your customers.

Do: Focus on your tone. Do you want people to think you are funny, nice, reliable, intelligent, positive – whatever your fabulous qualities are, be conscious of how that is coming across in all of your social media exchanges.

Never before has there been a marketing channel like social media because of its ability to add a human element to businesses. What tips can you recommend to help other wedding professionals add that personal touch to their social media efforts?

About This Blog: Christine Dyer has an MBA in marketing and shares over ten years of marketing expertise with the wedding community. In this weekly blog called Supercharge Your Wedding Business, you'll find advice on an array of wedding business topics such as how to market to brides, social networking, wedding PR, wedding sales, vendor networking, branding, pricing and much more. .Please pass this news along to your own professional wedding network. To receive this advice in your email inbox each week, Sign Up for a Free BridalTweet Membership.