Mediaboss Marketing

In today's digital society, when news breaks, it often hits the social media sites before the mainstream news picks it up. Unfortunately, many midsize companies find themselves at the mercy of customers when it comes to a positive portrayal of their brand online. An article from Fast Company discusses how researchers from the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology are on the verge of releasing a Chrome plugin that would allow users to verify the authenticity of tweets on Twitter. The plugin currently is able to detect approximately 97 percent of misinformation on Twitter.

For midsize companies, proper management of social networking sites is vital to ensuring that employees and customers are able to distinguish fact from fiction. Having a social media strategy requires much more than simply posting content on various social sites. Interaction with customers and prospective clients is an excellent way for businesses to stay on top of noteworthy events. Customers need to feel that their opinions are valued and that vendors have the customers' best interests in mind.

Although social networking is a vast field, social tools make it possible for IT teams in midsize businesses to stay afloat. When dealing with external parties, midsize businesses should actively monitor social chatter and respond directly to comments made online. Tools such as Hootsuite allow IT teams in midsize businesses to have multiple employees manage social media accounts without having to share the passwords of corporate accounts. By providing a simple platform by which employees can monitor social buzz, companies can swiftly take action against malicious posts before they get out of hand.

The curation of a midsize business's presence in social networking media can be an unwieldy and often daunting task for IT professionals; by breaking down their strategy into fundamental points, however, even the smallest IT teams can operate efficiently and make certain that customers are kept informed with factual information. As a rule of thumb, when using social media accounts, midsize businesses should add value to their relationships with customers instead of posting random content. Common content ideas include daily tips, deals and specials, news and commentary on relevant trends and information on product updates. Additionally, many companies now provide customer service through social channels.

Overall, social media sites should be embraced by all midsize businesses; but it is worth noting that, without a solid strategy, it is impossible to have a solid return on investment.

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

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Protect Your Social Media Brand with These Tips