How Social Media Works for Business in the Territory

When we think of Social Media, we often think of things like Facebook, Twitter or YouTube and, perhaps unsurprisingly, wonder how tools that are so famous for devouring our free time (and work time) and for landing celebrities in hot water can be taken seriously as essential tools for business marketing.  So how does Social Media really work for small businesses? And up here in the Northern Territory no less?

 ‘Social Media’ is simply the name given to an emerging collection of tools and techniques that exist in the online/digital space to allow people to connect, interact and share content with one another. 

There are plenty of organisations and businesses in the Territory already using Social Media in different ways to provide extra value and engagement with their audiences.  Northern Territory Airports is one of the biggest local success stories to date, harnessing a range of social tools to increase their reach in the NT community.  Darwin International Airport (@darwinairport) is making good use of Twitter to keep punters informed on important happenings like delays and closures, and uses this ‘in’ to promote Darwin as a destination and raise their profile.  This quick update system really proved its worth for the Airport during Cyclone Carlos, as it did for Power and Water Corporation (@PowerWaterCorp). 

But arguably the biggest opportunity for Northern Territory businesses to connect is through Facebook, due to the sheer number of active users in the Territory (over 60,000 to date).  Over the past year in particular, the power and value of Facebook as a marketing tool has rocketed with customised brand ‘Pages’ allowing users to ‘Like’ businesses and receive updates and special offers from them.  Facebook Pages are different to personal Facebook profiles, and can often be more secure and less labour-intensive than the more traditional way we might use Facebook personally, making them a perfect option for brands, businesses and causes.  

Again, Darwin Airport’s Facebook page is a great example, with users becoming advocates and defenders of the brand in exchange for timely updates and open communications.  But Social Media isn’t just for larger corporations either.  Local Darwin Retailers Me and My Llama and Humidity have both made a splash with Facebook, using the tool to promote special offers and new products in exchange for loyalty and recommendations from their fans; and Viva La Body is beginning to follow suit with a recently launched Twitter feed (@vivalabody).  

The key for any small business looking to use Social Media is to start small.  Social Media can be tough to understand until you actually get started using the different tools, so the first step is simply to sign up (either personally or as a business) and just experiment with how it works on a small scale.  Listen and monitor the conversations going on around you.  Find out how to search for your business or industry terms with different Social Media tools and follow the people who seem interesting or relevant in your field.  Then as you gain confidence with the technology you can start to participate and contribute content yourself. This is where you really start providing the value and engagement with your followers that makes them loyal advocates of your brand. 

Without a doubt, Social Media changes the game small businesses.  It allows consumers and customers to interact with companies like never before, creating continuous feedback loops, real time interaction and mass ownership of brands. But, just like any other marketing or business strategy, there is no ‘one size fits all’ key to doing Social Media.  It is all about doing your homework, finding out how different technologies can work, and then coming up with the strategies that will work for your unique business and brand.

We are running Seminars on Social Media Marketing Strategy and Implementation in late May.  These interactive two-hour workshops are designed to help businesses learn how different Social Media tools work and how they can be safely and effectively rolled out and managed.  Find out more and book now.

Learn more about our services in Social Media Marketing here.