The lines are blurring for many between work and home. Not only are mobile devices making it easier to keep up with data on the move, but your customers are operating businesses from the home. In fact in the US over 53% of businesses are run from the home. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of home-based businesses in the U.S. exceeds 18.3 million businesses. Not only is there an increase in the number of businesses at home, but there is a clear increase in the number of employees telecommuting.
What does this mean for your social media marketing?
More people are isolated from the relationships that exist in a traditional workplace.
This isolation means that the social interaction that was occurring for millions of people in the workplace now occurs elsewhere. As marketers, we have an obligation to focus on the increasing number of people who are working from home.
Connect your staff to these individuals. Your staff has reach, while your brand may only hit a percentage of the home-crowd, your staff can help you connect.
Know that they are not anti-social. While you might reside in an office, these stay-at-home workers are not necessarily anti-social. In fact, many of them have chosen to stay at home because they excelled at communicating in their workplace.
Find ways that they connect. If your brand markets through financial vehicles, know that most of these stay-at-home workers have places where they might connect, perhaps their accountants or their attorneys.
Don’t make them leave home, allow them an opportunity. Many of the people working from home have reasons for being at home whether it is a parent with children or a flexible job. If you are to engage them, offer them a chance to visit the office, or connect after-hours when their spouse returns home to care for children.
Your social media strategy will receive a significant lift when you begin to realize the impact that home businesses and teleworkers have on our changing society.
