And you should be, too. 

Here at Baillie Lumber, we have “kept our hand” in social media for some time now. Understanding that it can be very useful for disseminating customer-related information (and other purposes), such as informing customers about the availability of hard to find White Oak products, informing loggers when we are buying Red Oak, Ash or Walnut logs, or even informative articles about topics of importance to the hardwood lumber industry.  We work hard to keep our loyal followers informed on most popular social media sites. We also pay attention to what others have to say about us—and our industry—on differing platforms. 

Business leaders and owners who have thus far hesitated to take an active role may find it worth while to keep the following points in mind. They might persuade you that social media can boost awareness of your brand and, just as importantly, serve to drive new customers to your business: 

It’s not difficult. Getting involved in social media isn’t especially difficult or time-consuming. If you’re new to the subject, enlist the assistance of employees in your IT department or elsewhere. They’ll guide you through the fundamentals, set up the platform, and make it easy for you to start posting your thoughts and comments—today! 

Do it yourself. The great thing about social media is that everyone is welcome, and no one has to adopt a fake persona, especially in the business realm. Experts urge business leaders not to outsource posting to third parties. When you enlist the services of an individual or agency to post under your name, says Kayak Marketing, “it’s only a matter of time before they say something that you wish you could take back.” The thing is, “in a public arena, you can’t take it back.” 

Engage in social listening. Don’t make the mistake of thinking social media is all about what you have to say. It’s an extremely valuable resource for finding out what others think about your company. Through social listening—that is, paying close attention to social media postings from customers and others—you can better understand what your business is doing right, and where you might be falling short. It’s also a key asset in your campaign for effective reputation management. 

Don’t attempt a scattershot approach. Considering all of the social media platforms out there, it might be tempting to go “all in”—distributing your time and energy on an array of sites. The best advice here is not to go that route. Instead, as Entrepreneur suggests, “Become a master of one, rather than a novice with all of them.” Find the site that best exemplifies your company’s values and “allocate all of your social media resources” towards that platform. There’s always time to branch out at a later date. 

Strive for authenticity. In all likelihood, you work hard to be authentic in your presentations and discussions with employees, customers, colleagues, etc. There’s no reason to abandon that authenticity in social media. Followers and others who happen upon your platform will respond more favorably if they feel the voice is genuine—sometimes funny, sometimes serious, always informative. A little humor is also important, but don’t try to be cute or whimsical.  

In all probability, your business already has a thriving web presence. Look into ways in which you can contribute to that presence and strengthen its overall appeal by posting and growing your brand on social media yourself. 

Brett Del Prince
Baillie Lumber
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