Using Social Media to Better Your Business
Online social identity is almost a necessity these days. It is not uncommon for people to have an online presence on at least two of the most popular social media sites, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It is also not uncommon to see discussions every now and then questioning the true value of social presence, especially when people can get so hooked on them.
Additionally, when there are compromises around security, privacy, and performance of social applications, the questions can get intense. With all of this being said, the online community also understands the cases where having a social presence has been a boon too.
One recent success story is from TMobile’s CEO, John Legere. He talks about the differentiation he reaps with his active presence on Twitter. He has over 500,000 followers and is said to spend about an hour and half each day on the social platform. To Legere, this gives a direct connect with his end users, and there is no better way to be in touch with them that through such a quick and first-hand channel.
Legere is said to promptly follow up with his executive team on action items that emerge from such conversations. Additionally, he is very vocal, not only about his brand but also competitors and his thoughts on their offerings. So, in a one stop platform, Legere is touching upon multiple facets, including operations, marketing, business development, and user support. He is also leading by example for what his team can achieve through active and monitored social presence.
On a similar note, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is considered an active proponent of listening closely to end users and acting upon that feedback. When such a commitment is shown by top executives in large companies such as TMobile and Amazon, the messages that are sent to users are loud and clear—they are being listened to, and the organization is dynamic in leveraging the latest tool set to stay connected with them.
Such actions are not limited to just software organizations. Even leaders of nations are taking on an active social presence to bring in more practical execution approaches during their tenure in office. But maintaining an active social presence is not a straightforward solution. It calls for a lot of discipline to manage time and to reap the benefits and still keep going with other tasks on your plate!
