In-Tune News You’ll Want To Use

If you run a business that is trying to increase its sales on the Internet, have you considered what you may want to do with social media? For example, there are sites like Facebook, Twitter, and others where businesses are encouraged to sign up and engage with consumers in an online format. Not every company finds its voice in social media, though. Here is an example of a company that, despite a strong sales record over more than a quarter century, has yet to make a splash in social media. Keep in mind that this is just a case study and in on way represents either a criticism or endorsement of the company itself.

Penguin Windows launched a Twitter account. Now, it might seem strange that a custom window manufacturer would want to engage with consumers on Twitter. In fact, Twitter allows your employees and executives to show their human side to customers and friends alike. But more importantly they can help create visibility for your company. Problem is, sites like Twitter demand a lot of time and effort and they may not be a good match for your online marketing efforts.

On the other hand, Penguin Windows has a Facebook page. Now Facebook is a bit more passive than Twitter. It allows you to set up some automated gadgets and then you can check in on your friends every now and then. You have a bit more control over how much time you have to put into Facebook to be successful.

Here’s another type of resource you can look at: career information portals. Think of sites like LinkedIn and Spoke. Yes, you can find our friends Penguin Windows on Spoke, and probably on LinkedIn as well. The great thing about these types of social media sites is that even former employees can help you build visibility for your business because you remain in their career path information. That’s a win-win situation for everyone.

It may well be that social media won’t work for your company. Most manufacturers never even engage with consumers (beyond creating neat Web sites and offering factory tours) because their customers tend to be wholesalers and/or retailers. Still, if your business is looking for ways to produce a bump in sales from the Internet, maybe you should be looking at a social media solution.