The Jordan Rules

I think everyone should be using some form of social media; especially in business.

Many businesses have started making use of social media in some way; however many still aren’t participating in any form of social media. Of those, the most common reason for non-participation is that they genuinely believe that their customers aren’t using social media; therefore they shouldn’t.

In fact, I’ve recently heard that some businesses don’t even think their customers are online.I’ve compiled the following, to address why even businesses without online customers should participate in social media.

If you think your customers aren’t online at all, here are reasons to participate in social media:

Reason 1: Even if your customer isn’t online, those people he trusts and looks to for advice might be.

Reason 2: Your business can collect valuable research on your competition, industry trends, upcoming technology, etc. Using social media as a business intelligence gathering tool is a valuable reason to participate.

Reason 3: If your customer isn’t online; there might be an opportunity to market to those who aren’t buying from you. You can endear your brand with a new audience without alienating your current audience, or you could create a brand extension that would appeal to a new market.

Reason 4: Influential publications often pick up stories that make use of social media in new or unique ways. Start a social media campaign; and get in front of your customer via traditional media covering your campaign.

Reason 5: “Bacterial Growth” - What I call “Bacterial Growth” is like viral content; but when something goes ‘viral’ it generally means that it spreads until market saturation is reached, then effectively dies. “Bacterial Growth” refers to a multi-channel infection that experiences a heightened growth period and a long sustained brand equity. Where the ‘bacteria’ doesn’t die; it just changes. I suggest that a well-thought campaign that includes offline components can go viral online and offline. (e.g. iCoke, Foursquare)

If you think your customers are online, but not participating in social media, here are reasons to participate:

Reason 1: Online customers that aren’t involved with social media rely on search engines even more. You can ensure your brand obtains search engine dominance through the use of social media. (The more you participate, the more results will point to your brand.)

Reason 2: If you’re customers visit your website; you can increase engagement by integrating real-time content with it. (e.g. show product reviews as they get posted on Twitter; show user-generated images that show your brand as they get posted to Flickr.)

Reason 3: If you’re in communication with your customer online, through any channel, you can introduce them to your social media presence as an added value proposition. (e.g. Let’s say someone subscribes to your e-mail newsletter. You can include buttons for Twitter/ Facebook and indicate that even more valuable information can be found through those channels.)

I suggest everyone can find some value in participating in social media. The second biggest hurdle is social media measurement & ROI. I feel there are enough tools (e.g. Radian6, CoTweet) that provide enough data to measure ROI. If a business is unsure how to properly mine the data; that’s a job for a business analyst.

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