TOMI Magazine November 2012

products performance or a person’s character. The web is more than just getting someone to instantly like your ideas or thoughts. Business- es are discovering that the web is a significant part of how a company continues to operate: should we go digital? How can we continue growing consumer relationships? Should we update our marketing plan? Are we losing or gaining customers? Has bad publicity caused us to lose current and potential business? Do we need to obtain more investment funds to upgrade the product? For all businesses, not just small busi- nesses, keeping connected is a part of having your finger on the pulse. Corporate owners may find that being on the web isn’t just about avoiding negative feedback. It’s about keeping in touch with consumers. That is all a part of having good customer service. Customer service doesn’t just end with a solution to a call or complaint. It’s continu- ously finding interesting ways to keep them coming back for more. Vice versa, a consum- ers constant interaction with your organization can help you build a business beyond meager satisfactory standards. You can build a brand with a loyal customer base that can span for years to come. – Tonisha L. Johnson

BUSINESS TRENDS SOCIAL MEDIA EVERYTHING F ULLTIME ONLINE

With the Internet being essential to all busi- ness, entrepreneurs are finding that being fulltime online takes more than committing to hiring someone to sit and answer consumer posts. It has truly become a part of everyday business life on all levels even for CEOs. Social Media Marketing programs such as Hootsuite, SproutSocial and Postling gauge more than just your followers and likes. It vis- ually describes the relationship between you and your existing customers. It also offers the opportunity to engage with new customers. People that you ordinarily couldn’t get to. Businesses are incorporating the web into developing CRM (Customer Relationship Management). They are using compiled data to better their products and services. They are also determining how to sell those same prod- ucts and services based off current customer feedback and conversations the web records through comments, posts and threads about a

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NOVEMBER 2012 WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM