Page 62 - How to write effective business English your guide to excellent professional communication by Fiona Talbot

Telling your story through social media 51

● ● to create ongoing dialogue, listen to customers and improve;
● ● to gain market insights;
● ● to share valuable information, develop and maintain relation-
ships;
● ● to get your messages found widely through SEO.

Keep up with the major platforms out there

Businesses need to choose the channels that best suit their needs –
and also those of their target demographic. Current leaders include
Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat,
WeChat, Instagram, QZone and Twitter. Keep up to date, as plat-
forms constantly change.
Then, you can’t just expect everyone to open, let’s say, a
Facebook or Twitter account in order to engage with you. Choose
channels you know your audience is interested in too (and remem-
ber that not everyone wants to be on the same channel. Currently,
Facebook is losing upcoming generations in vast numbers, as they
don’t want to be on the same platform as their elders!). Be pre-
pared to invest time in getting social, otherwise how can you ex-
pect to create a loyal following or generate leads?
As more channels get added to the mix, recognize and adapt to
their style. Keep your purpose in mind and be clear.

How do companies shine through their
social media interaction?

There’s been a shift in focus from product or service (the focus of
traditional writing) to consumer in social media. So writing must be:

● ● reader-focused and less about direct selling (this doesn’t
completely rule out selling, depending on what each channel
allows in terms of promotion);

● ● more about your voice and brand personality.