Why Your Industry Needs to Get More Social

It’s hard to miss the huge impact social media has had on our lives. People connect with their friends on Facebook, share their thoughts on Twitter and reach out to professionals on LinkedIn. And let’s not forget YouTube, where 75% of the internet populations watch online videos.

Social Media. Image Credit

As individuals, social media plays a huge part in most of our lives – but it’s also becoming increasingly more important for businesses.  In fact, a recent article from CBSNews highlighted 5 industry sectors that are using social media the most to keep their customers happy. They include:

•  Retail

•  Telecoms

•  Travel and Hospitality

•  Cable

•  Banks

What about the rest? Well, the industry sectors that seem reluctant to adopt social media include:

•  Healthcare

•  Government Services

•  Financial Services

•  Manufacturing

•  Construction

•  Human Resources

Hate to break it to these industries, but you especially can benefit from being “social.” For example, HR professionals can use Twitter to get the word out to a larger audience during the hiring process. Organisations can learn what people are saying about their products if they create a Facebook page.

Perhaps one of the main reasons these sectors aren’t using social media is that they don’t see the benefit it could add to their businesses; it could seem like an additional investment of time and money, with little or no tangible return.

However, when used well, social media can benefit businesses in a number of ways:

•  It allows them to build their brand.

•  It lets them tell more people about their business.

•  It can get other people promoting their business for them.

•  It allows them to be seen as ‘thought leaders’ in their industry.

•  It lets them know what others are saying about their business – in real time.

•  It can tell them what their customers want, and how to give it to them.

•  It’s where more and more of their peers, contacts and clients are gathering.

All industries and businesses need to be more social. The industry your business is a part of, however, does change your social strategy – but not the fact that you need to be social. Businesses need to look at social media as a way to engage with their audience, build relationships and eventually earn their trust. If you want to gain more business you have to go where the people go – and now everyone is on social sites.