Five Tips to Establishing a Social Media Presence

Roughly 16.6% of all time Americans spend online is spent on social networking sites

Roughly 16.6 percent of all time Americans spend online is spent on social networking sites, and the average American spends almost seven hours a month on Facebook. Those statistics were just a few shared during the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s webinar, “Social Media for Asphalt Companies.”

During the hour long presentation, T. Carter Ross, director of communications for NAPA, and Carrie Herrera, marketing/public relations for LL Pelling Co. Inc., shared tips and tricks for companies to successfully communicate with customers, regulators, workforce and the local community via social media. Here are five points to make note of:

  1. Creating a plan. Unfamiliar with the different social media platforms? Here are just a few: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Google+. Each platform offers users a different focus from photos on Pinterest to videos on YouTube. To make it easy, choose the main person within the company who will be responsible for social media. Create a policy at work for what can/can’t be posted, how often posts should be made, etc.
  2. Engage and respond. Social media is a two-way street so it is crucial that companies regularly maintain their profiles by engaging in conversation with their followers or responding to direct comments. Be creative and experiment with different types of posts such as photos, videos, blogs, etc.
  3. Projects, employees and volunteering. Not sure what to post? Social media is the place to share photos and updates on projects you are completing giving potential clients to see the quality work you complete. You can also take this opportunity to share photos from the local charity event your company sponsored or use it to spread the word about events happening within the company.
  4. A picture is worth a 1,000 words. As Herrera explained, sharing photos via social media allows companies to express countless points to potential clients. Last spring, Herrera had shared a photo of LL Pelling’s safety meeting. Not only was LL Pelling able to post a photo of current events, but the image was able to convey the importance LL Pelling carries on keeping its workers safe. Other photos LL Pelling has shared include awards and conferences—both informing potential clients about the company’s success as well as the importance on furthering education.
  5. Adding social media to marketing. After implementing your company’s social media plan, continue forward by creating unique URLs. After creating the unique URL, be sure to place it on all of your marketing pieces so that potential clients can easily find your page. Another step to take is placing the social media logos in email signatures linking to your company page.  

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