The importance of developing social relationships

Just using social media is no longer enough if you aren’t developing a relationship with your followers, according to social media management company Hootsuite. While sites and apps like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck allow users to access various social media data and streams all from one screen, learning how to use your management systems to your advantage makes all the difference in generating a response.

Emphasising the need for centralised social media platforms to make the most out of your data in business, Hootsuite has compiled a list of its top tips for understanding how social media can help you.

Join the conversation
Reading and interacting with your audience is vital. Making posts that generate a response is one thing, but joining in with the discussions you start makes all the difference. Observing the analytics and understanding your audience can help you learn your followers’ interests through learning about factors such as age, gender and education to work out where you should take the conversation next.

Support yourself
Multiple teams within your organisation may have their own separate accounts, particularly for those organising events, and making sure each account supports one another helps grow the brands and branch out. If different teams control different accounts, be sure to communicate and collaborate. You don’t need to share every post from every account, but try and deliver the relevant information to the people that will want to read it.

Get educated
Many social relationship platforms provide tutorial videos and additional information to help teams learn how to promote themselves online. If your team needs to be brought up to speed, these platforms regularly offer webinars, training sessions and even situational simulations to train your team in delivering appropriate public responses and reacting under pressure.

Management hubs aren’t the only way to generate social media buzz, however, and sometimes increased response can be about perfecting your own personal brand. How do you approach social media? How often do you post online? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.