Social media are tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.
They are taking advantage of interpersonal relationships that are formed between users to broadcast user generated content. Businesses are tapping into this relatively inexpensive and widely accessible electronic tools.
In most cases it makes business sense to integrate some of these social media tools to various extend. Information that is published can go viral in a short period of time and helps to establish and maintain a connection with existing customers and interested parties.
“Social media has been broadly defined to refer to ‘the many relatively inexpensive and widely accessible electronic tools that enable anyone to publish and access information, collaborate on a common effort, or build relationships”. Read more about which social media is of the most benefit to your business.
Ways to integrate social media on your website
Social share and follow buttons
An important tool on your website is the Share / Bookmarking facility. Visitors to your website can share your content with ease and very quick. Changes are that the content of your website will be shared more often. This functionality is implemented in every website or landing page at no cost.
Facebook Like Box
When you integrate such as the Facebook Like Box, you’re providing your visitors the opportunity to trust you more. This feature shows your visitors that you’re a credible source, their friends also like your Facebook page, and that you’re a legitimate product or brand. On top of that, you’ll also be able to increase your Facebook likes with this social media integration.
If you already have a Facebook Business Page, I will implement this widget on your new website free of charge.
For more information about a Facebook Business Page click here.
Social Based Comment Systems
Social based comment systems like Facebook comments are robust tools for making the experience of commenting on content and having conversations with other commenters more engaging and credible through social verification and amplification on an e-commerce site. Often found on the blog of an e-commerce store, these socially fueled comment systems require commenters to synch one of their social accounts to the tool so there is an genuine profile linked to your identity as a commenter. This helps reduce the presence of spammers, but more importantly makes the whole process of commenting more social by sharing engaging thoughts and conversations from the comments right to a user’s favorite social channel.
Social Logins
Do you know that a lot of users prefer to log in to a site with social login, as opposed to providing an email address and creating a new account. Improve your website visitors’ experience with social login, and increase your website registration conversions and retention.
When you provide visitors the opportunity to sign up or log in via their social media profiles you’re shortening the registration process, which tends to lead to an increase in the conversion rate for user registrations.
Social Video
Social videos are videos that are created and shared on social networks such as YouTube.com or Vimeo.com. The added bonus of social videos for marketers is that they provide an easy social media integration for your website.
With so many social media platforms including video in the mix, it would be a missed opportunity to not include your social videos on your website too. For example, videos could be used to showcase quick how-to videos. Not only are these videos great, but they also make how-to blog posts more engaging.
