The power of
Social Media Social media should be considered an essential service for business
BY RENAY TANDY, PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR AT NGAGE - THE AGENCY FOR INDUSTRY
In South Africa, over 23 million
before meeting
It’s no longer a question of ‘if’ your
who were of the
people are active on social media.
business should be on social media, but rather ‘How do I manage this
presence properly?’ I run an industrial marketing agency that branched into offering social media services just
over six years ago. Back then when
we suggested putting large industrial companies onto social media they laughed at us (literally).
I remember the first social media sales
meeting with an existing public relations client, a heavy engineering group.
We presented to a group of 20 board members, all on the other side of 50,
who had already made their minds up
103
TOP500 11th Edition
with us, and
opinion that the world of social
media was meant
for their grandchildren,
and not the place for an industrial brand.
However, we were prepared. We researched who in
government and in high-
up places they were trying
to meet, and stalked those
people on social media. With an egg timer on the desk,
we were given half an hour to change their minds.
