Peterborough women get to grips with social media

A host of Enterprising Women recently spent a morning in Peterborough, getting to grips with social media.

Social media is the latest buzz term in marketing. It’s a low-cost way of reaching potentially large audiences... but how effective is it, what are the benefits and what are the pitfalls?

The workshop, ‘Social Media: a beginner’s guide’, was held at the Peterborough Women’s Enterprise Centre (PWEC), and, as the title suggests, was specially designed for those wanting to dip a toe into the waters of Facebook, Twitter and beyond.

Covering the basics of how to get started – from technical details such as how to set up an account to tips on the content and frequency of your posts – the workshop also looked at strategy, the marketing mix and how to reach your target audience. Attendees also considered how social media could be used as a cost-effective way to generate customer feedback, and as a way of encouraging online conversations and information sharing. The session was declared to have been highly informative, and attendees felt that they might now have the confidence to take the plunge and set about creating their own social media presence.

Top 5 tips for using social media

Separate personal and private
Your customers and your bank manager don’t want to see your holiday snaps or know what you got up to at the weekend!

Provide a service
It may be tempting to go for the hard sell, but social media is about building trust and long-term loyalty. Position yourself as an authority in your field and aim to provide really useful content that will be of help to your audience.

Be disciplined
Approach social media in the same way you would any other aspect of your business. Don’t let it take over your life

Monitor the results
Are you getting more followers? Are you increasing the traffic to your website? Measure the success of your campaign and make sure that the results justify the time you spend.

Spread the word!
People can’t follow you if they don’t know that you’re ‘social’. Mention in it conversation and in any marketing materials – and don’t forget to add a link to your email signature.

Find out more! Members’ article: Social media: will it work for you?

Don’t miss the next social media event!