How and Why to Interact with Companies on Social Media

Not that long ago, learning about companies that you like or frequently shop at required either looking up articles about them in magazines or researching them on Google. Now, thanks to the advent of social media, it is super easy to interact with a wide variety of companies—all with the click of the “like” or “follow” button.

If you have been using social media primarily to get back in touch with friends from high school and checking out your cousin’s cute pictures of her newborn, you may be wondering why and how you should interact with companies on social media.

As it turns out, you can learn a ton about your fave brands from their social media pages. Social media is helping to increase both brand engagement and sales—right now, almost 40 percent of social media users are following at least some of their favorite brands on Facebook, according to Forbes.

If all of this sounds intriguing, and you are ready to interact with companies on social media, here are some reasons to get started:

You Can Learn About Job Opportunities

If you are looking for a part-time job, following companies—both local and national businesses—can be a great way to quickly learn about openings. Start following companies where you would like to work, and watch for posts about job fairs, available positions and new locations that might be close to your home and will need staff. You can interact with the company by posting comments, and since Amway offers flexible job opportunities for independent business owners, you can learn more about the company’s mission and goals and if it would be a good fit for you.

Get Incentives and Discounts

Another great reason to interact with companies on social media is to get access to regular coupons, promotions and sales. If this sounds good, you are not alone— a survey of people who follow businesses on social media found that the most popular reason for people to connect on Facebook, Twitter and other sites is to get access to these deals; in all, 56 percent of people said this is why they follow a business.

Think about the products that you use the most and look at the labels to verify who makes them, and then look them up on social media sites. From your fave brands of clothing to the foods you buy the most often, you will probably find social media pages for all of them and will now be “in the know” about promos and coupons. One additional tip—unless you want to, you don’t have to follow the same company on all social media sites; if you are a regular Facebook user, you can focus your business “likes” on only this website.

You Can Interact with the Companies

Following a company on social media is a two-way street—not only will you have access to the latest info about the business, but you can also post comments that will be read by a company representative. You can communicate with both small and large companies this way and it can be a great opportunity to get your questions answered and offer feedback. For instance, if you are shopping online for some new athletic shoes and you are unsure if they run true to size, you can follow the company on Facebook and post a question right on the page. If you have a great experience at your favorite local pizza place, post a great review—the owner might invite you back with a 20 percent off coupon.

As you can see, social media sites can definitely be a positive tool that will help you save money, learn more about your favorite brands and maybe even get a job. Start by liking a handful of companies today to see how easy it is to follow businesses on social media, and over time add as many as you like to your “favorites” lists.