In this regular blog series, Bob Hall, the co-founder of Greenlite Lighting Solutions, makes sure you aren’t left in the dark about the lighting sector. This month, he says: Social media for the lighting industry shouldn’t be about pestering customers! Here’s my take on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter etiquette.

As someone who has lots of experience providing commercial low energy lighting, I spend a lot of time browsing industry social media pages for all the latest news. Sadly, there are many lighting companies who seem to think they can start a LinkedIn or Twitter account, paste an update or two about how great their products are and watch the contacts come rolling in! (Would you make a friend that way?! I think not...)

It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again: People only do business with people they know, like and trust. If you don’t know, like or trust a business, chances are you won’t be interested in what they have to say.

Just because an electrical maintenance company is hell-bent on tweeting that their LEDs are so bright we’re in danger of never needing the sun again, it doesn’t mean customers will buy them. If there are no matched values, there’s no trust – and no trust means no sale. Here are some tips on what to look for in top-quality social media for the lighting industry:

1.    Knowing me, knowing you – Social media isn’t about the hard sell. It’s a conversation – and no one likes talking to an egomaniac! If a company is boasting about how great they are instead of talking to customers and engaging with industry developments, unfollow them pronto.

2.    Find the experts – Look for companies who aren’t afraid to share their wealth of knowledge about the lighting industry. If you can see that a company knows what they’re talking about, you’ll know they can be trusted.

3.    Stay ahead of the game – With social media, businesses are available to customers 24/7. Whether it’s a discussion on LED installations or advice on emergency lighting maintenance, you should expect expert customer service and advice every time you log in.

4.    Expect the best - A company’s LinkedIn account shouldn’t be just another thing on the to-do list of a harried sales manager, so beware of misspelled updates and companies who only post once in a blue moon. Our social media ties in with The Greenlite Experience of providing an honest, respectful and trustworthy service. What you see is what you get!

So, here’s my plea to the lighting industry – let’s stop using social media to ‘cold call’ customers and instead work on making our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts into valuable resources that they can return to again and again. It’s good for business and good for customers, too. What’s not to like?