In today's market reality, a significant part of the shopping process has moved to the Internet. Customers often do research online, looking for information about companies and their products before making a decision to purchase. A modern, clear and functional company website is the basis of professional online presence, but it’s just the first step. In order to build brand recognition, and above all, to create a positive image of the company, a planned and informed presence in social media is necessary.

When consumers stand in front of the counter, they often reach for the products they know and like. This is why it is worth to consciously create an image of a friendly company - and social media provide the best tools for this purpose.

Some still say "my clients are not present there". It's not true! Your clients are in the social media and they spend more and more time there – and it relates also to the meat industry. Your competitors use them too, and you can be sure this is beneficial for them.

However, if you are still not convinced, we encourage you to read further.

The most important benefits of using social media

Running a company’s profile can be fun, but nobody does it for fun only. There are three major benefits of using social media for business reasons:

• Increased brand recognition of the manufacturer and the products.

• Building a positive image of the company.

• Employer branding – creating an image of a good employer.

Streamlining the flow of information between the customer and the company reduces the distance between the buyer and the seller. It also results in increased trust in the product, and at the same time it costs relatively little. Social media is also a great source of data about customers and their needs. This creates an opportunity to directly meet their expectations in real time.

Which social media should you use?

Social Media is a lot more than just Facebook. There are many portals for social networking, and each has a different specificity and gathers different crowd.

Here are the portals where your brand should be present:

Facebook - a place to post news about the life of the company. If you are present at an interesting business conference, exhibit at some big fair, have recently launched a premiere of your latest product or created an interesting advertising creation - you should definitely put it on your wall.

Instagram - a portal where only photos and images are used to build your brand. Appetizing suggestions of how to serve your products, your meat cuts on the table at a nice dinner party or a photo of satisfied employees during a coffee break will work here best.

Linkedin - this is the most professional social networking space, where it is worth placing some expert articles and tips or participating in group discussions. It is also a good place for employer branding.

Social media branding strategy

Since you have already decided to create social media accounts, then the next stage should be to prepare an informed strategy of your online presence. Don’t go rogue, even if you feel comfortable in this online environment.

Here are some good tips on what works best with social media:

• Let them know you.
  Publish regularly and be eager to show what’s going on. Inform about new products and give a character to your brand.
• Focus on interactions.
• Answers the comments and join discussions. It not only increases engagement, but also brings the customers closer to the company.
• Show what’s behind the scenes.

‘How it’s made’ type of posts are the most popular ones. Don’t be shy and show your office or the production floor. The customers love it!

• Give the business a human face.
  Posts that present real people are usually trending. Don’t be afraid to post your employees at work. Just remember to ask their permission first!
• Be an expert in the industry.

Publish articles and share your knowledge. Take part in industry discussions online. Monitor social media using professional tools and never skip an interesting conversation.

Social media influence sales

The Internet is the strongest medium these days, and it will not change any time soon. Social media should therefore be an inseparable element of the strategy of promoting your brand.

It is not true that in the meat industry using social media does not influence sales. Social media sell in an indirect way.

Thanks to the creation of a positive image of both the producer's and employer’s brand, companies in the meat industry gain plenty from being online. We hope that if you have not been convinced so far and have refrained from creating company accounts, the text above has helped you make the right decision!