What is social media?
Social media put plainly and simply is public conversations within established networks. These networks are made up of your friends, peers, colleagues, clients and potential clients. These networks or channels have various names such as Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, LinkedIn etc. Each is unique and useful in varying degrees to executive protection and security businesses.

Here are my top 5 reasons why your EP/Security Business needs a social media strategy:

1. Brand Equity and Monitoring. Social media can and should be thought of as an extension of your brand. In other words you are branding yourself and your company through social media channels. If you don’t define what your brand is, others will define it for you. If you don’t establish your brand, perceptions will be inaccurate – rightly or wrongly. Customers and clients will draw their own conclusions. Think about the impact to your business if you don’t control your own brand! Social media when used effectively shows your credibility to current and potential clients and employers and creates a definition of your business and brand.
2. Word of mouth marketing on steroids. Think of social media as customer cultivation. With social media you are listening to customers’ needs and making sure you create viable solutions.
3. Engage with your customers and clients. By sharing your expertise, knowledge, and experience you establish yourself as a subject matter expert. As a result people will be more willing to use your products and services and trust other businesses you recommend. Use social media to create and maintain a dialogue with your clients. Don’t push ads, instead engage in real personable conversation. You want potential customers to know about you, to like you and trust you.
4. Provide Context with Content. Facebook has over 1.5 Billion monthly active users who spend billions of minutes on Facebook every month! When sharing content (yours and others) provide context. Context is the story that adds relevancy to your message. 

   Explain the why, the who and the what. Make it relevant and practical to your audience. For example if you were to share upcoming training don’t just post a link.  Share a testimonial, or an image of the training as it relates to the group members.

   Understand the medium. Each social media network is very, very  different even though they are starting to look and act the same.  Images might work best on Facebook and Pinterest but to be successful you also have to understand the demographics in each medium. For instance Pinterest users are primarily women who are interested in purchasing or wanting a particular product where as Facebook is more for social interaction with friends,  family and colleagues. So the images could be completely different.

5.  Be found. If a potential client has a problem that needs solving, first stop is talking to a friend about the problem, perhaps mentioning your company, the potential client will then use the internet to find out information about who you are, what you do, what qualifies you to do it, and who you do it for.

You can connect with Larry on – Facebook – LinkedIn

Download Larry’s Free eBook – Brand, Brand, and Marketing for the Protective Services Professional

Visit Larry’s website -for articles on Business of Security, Social Media and Branding

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This post is authored by an International Security Driver Association Member

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