Social networking seems like a marketing must today. But, do businesses know how to socialize with their customers online in order to increase loyalty?

On September 16, MarketingProfs, an online resource offering beneficial information and products to marketers put on the Digital Marketing World conference to help entrepreneurs and business owners further develop their marketing knowledge and skills and learn about current marketing trends.  The fall conference was the second of two free conferences (the first Digital Marketing World conference was held in the Spring) in order to help people continue honing their marketing skills during an economical downturn.

With featured keynote speaker Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and the New Yorker, publisher of Talk magazine and the founder of The Daily Beast , this online event had an array of professional, interesting guest speakers and insightful presentations.

While each presentation was impressive and delivered a great deal of information, the one that stood out to me was Building Customer Loyalty on the Social Web, presented by Becky Carroll, Founder of Petra Consulting and Michael Brito, Social Media Strategist with Intel.

This presentation detailed the importance social media plays in corporate branding today. The presenters pointed out that 60% of Americans use social media. Of those 60%, a staggering 93% believe companies should have a presence on the social web while 85% believe companies should be interacting on the social web. This was important to hear because these stats prove just how much of an impact social media marketing is having on consumers. Why is having a social media presence important? Because it:

• Builds client loyalty.
• Gets people talking about your business.
• Creates an easy avenue for customer feedback.

Many of us who are already using social media to market our business realize the importance of a social media presence already, but how many of us know how to maintain that presence? Here are the steps I learned from the Building Customer Loyalty on the Social Web presentation to gain loyalty and keep it:

Listen to what your customers have to say. Browse social networking sites and read what your target market is talking about in order to gain some insight into what you can offer to help them or what you should be avoiding in terms of your service and/or product.

Talk with your customers. Be authentic and genuine when talking with your target market. Show them there is a real person behind the brand. Being engaging and real helps to instil trust and thus increase customer loyalty.

Energize your target market. Use social media to identify enthusiastic customers. Use their enthusiasm to promote your service or brand to others.

Be supportive. Make it possible for customers to support one another. Help your customers don’t spam or sell the product or service.

Embrace your target market. Use social media as a resource for turning customers into innovation.

Social media marketing is not just about listening but is also about engaging and acting. By being authentic , thinking long term rather than short term and posting information your target market is interested in, your customer loyalty will quickly begin to grow.