Then I have to see the confusion in their face and read what they are thinking, which is “Then what’s the point?”
And my short answer is “Because you are expected to have a social media presence. That’s where your customers are.” Of course there are a million other reasons why that company should have a social media presence — to connect on a personal level, humanize their company, start a discussion with their clients and potential clients — but the easiest way to stop any counter-arguments is to tell them that’s where they are expected to be. And it’s true. Think about how many times you’ve visited a static web page and looked for a Facebook or Twitter button or sought out more photos or reviews. If you don’t have that ability to connect, you customer feels, well, disconnected from you. And these days web smart customers assume a business has these channels to connect in place.
To answer the first question, yes, being online and communicating with your clients will ultimately lead to sales but not directly usually. It’s important for business clients to know that a social media campaign is just one element of a complete marketing strategy. But it is an important one that should be standard operating procedure.
What other things do your customers expect of you that you may be missing?