By Christian Riddell
Motorcoach Marketing Council

Is social media really something your company should be doing?

Or, do you think your customers arent actually on social media?

And, if you are using social media, how do you know if what your company is doing is working?

Over the past few years, these are the most common questions I have heard when I talked with owners about the need for social media in their businesses.

So, let's address each of them here.

Is social media really something your company should be doing?

Yes. Social media is now the most popular activity on the internet.

In North America, more than 70 percent of internet users have a social media account. The popularity of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are reshaping not only how we advertise our companies but how we relate to the world.

What started out as a way to share what you ate for breakfast is now one of the most powerful tools on the web. In fact, if all Facebook users lived in one country, it would be the third largest in the world.

With the proliferation of mobile devices, what used to be something that you did when you sat down at your computer is now being done standing in line at the DMV, or waiting for your lunch to be brought to the table.

Things have shifted to the point that in today's mobile-driven world there are more people who own a mobile device than own a toothbrush.

A fad it isnt

Social media has moved way beyond a fad and has turned into something that even the most technically reluctant companies need to be doing. With statistics like more than 90 percent of shoppers buying decisions being influenced by social media, there is no doubt that what may have been an option even five years ago, is now a necessity.

Maybe youre convinced your customers arent actually on social media.

This is probably the most common misconception for those who are not familiar with social media. Facebook alone has more than 1.35 billion users worldwide, and more than 41 percent of North Americans spend an average of 40 minutes daily on their Facebook account.

Seven out of 10 internet users are on Facebook.

Perhaps most surprising is the age of these users. In 2014, Facebook added 12.4 million users who are over the age of 55. That represented a staggering 80 percent growth rate.

Twitter has more than 232 million active users of which more than 53 percent recommend products or services in their tweets.

Seniors, too

I get it, though, that's just Twitter right? A bunch of college students talking about some designer brand of coffee? Not anymore. Most people are totally shocked when they learn that the fastest growing demographic on Twitter is grandparents.

I could go on with other powerful statistics like the fact that LinkedIn is growing at a rate of two users every second. Or, that 22 percent of adult internet users visit Google+ at least once a month. Or, maybe that more than 100 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute.

Social media is here to stay; it is NOT a fad and most certainly it is not just for young people.

Eric Qualman, an online marketing pioneer, said the return on investment of social media for todays businesses is that they will still be businesses in five years.

Three little rules

Like any marketing avenue, adopting social media requires attention to do well.

In a recent class taught by Eric Elliot of BusRates.com and myself, we discussed some of the things companies can do to leverage the social marketplace.

First, establish a "time budget" that you, or your staff, will spend dedicated to participation in social media. Then spend it.

Second, decide in which networks you want to participate. You don't have to do them all; choose those you feel you can regularly do and then forget the rest for a while.

Third, be consistent.

Although you can get away with not participating in some of the social networks, you can't get away with inconsistency.

Dont get caught

Customers and potential customers use these tools to start to build a case why they should or should not purchase your services. If its June and your last post says Happy Thanksgiving, it does not go unnoticed.

Make posts, tweets, status updates, and add photos regularly. If you can't do it regularly, then wait to start your accounts until you can.

The realization that consistency is important inevitably leads to the question: what should I post and how often?

The key to social media is to give people things they want, not what you want.

One of the biggest mistakes companies make is posting things that are interesting to the company, but not so much to the buying public. The fact that Bill made driver of the month, or that you just purchased a new midsize bus is great, but does your buying audience really care? Probably not.

Look for things you can share that help establish you as an expert, that show that when it comes to group transportation theres no one that knows more than your company.

A social library

Content development can be one of the most difficult parts of this equation. It takes time and is the foundation of the Motorcoach Marketing Councils new social library.

This library gives companies the ability to simply copy and paste posts, photos and tweets out of the library into their own social media networks.

All of the content has been developed to help educate, inform and entertain your audience and establish you as a social resource.

This library can be found at www.motorcoachmarketing.org, and is available to the entire industry after registering for a free account.

Launched at UMA Motorcoach Expo with two campaigns, including weddings and wine trips, the library will be growing in the next few months to include more than 20 campaigns.

Now, no matter where you are, or how technical you are, there is no reason you cant be posting at least once a day with the help of these libraries.

Measure success

Once you have chosen the networks you are planning on using, committed to spending time on a daily or weekly basis, and posting good content consistently, the next question you will have is how will you know if this social stuff is actually working?

The first and perhaps most important answer is that your sales staff will ask everyone who gets a quote how they heard about you, and some number will say they found you on Facebook, or that someone recommended you on Twitter. (If this sort of basic research is not happening at your company, make sure it starts.)

You also can use your Google analytics to see how many people came to your website directly from your social pages. You can offer specials or discounts that only exist on those platforms so if someone uses them you know they came from those efforts.

Social media can be a powerful tool in a motorcoach operators toolbox, but it requires attention, planning and effort, like any marketing. The payoff can be big, however.

People are using social media as more than just a way to see what their old high school girlfriend is doing these days and are, instead, making buying decisions, researching brands, and talking about their experiences with the companies they use.

But remember, social media is not a soapbox to stand on and sell your services; it is a conversation that you are having with the buying public and like any conversation there will be times when people respond.

Listen as much as you talk. Be consistent polite and professional, even to those who don't deserve it.

Remember that, unlike a phone call, your interactions on social media live on forever for future customers to see and to use to determine if they will choose you or your competitor.

The social revolution has reached the motorcoach industry. Its time we all get on board.

For more information about the Motorcoach Marketing Council and its programs, go to www.motorcoachmarketing.org.