Electrical distributors provide the essential connection between manufacturers and contractors. Contractors, especially small and mid-sized contracting firms, rely on their distributors as key sources of industry information. At Wheatland Tube, we know that finding ways to share information and connect across every channel is critical to filling this need.

Social media is often underutilized as a means to finding and connecting with customers and prospects (the same way you do at networking events, regional conferences and tradeshows). LinkedIn and Twitter are two free powerful solutions to help you more easily share industry and product information with your customers.

Today, I challenge distributors to get on board with social media — because now is the time.

If you’re not sure where to get started, Wheatland Tube can help. We recently hosted a webinar with TED Magazine that covered how to inform and engage customers, gather and provide customer data to sales teams and simultaneously enhance web presence and company reputation.

Here are five key take-aways from our webinar with TED Magazine, Social Media and Customer Relationships: Don’t Get Left Behind.

1. People prefer to do business with people—it’s about relationships; how they’re developed, maintained and cultivated.
2. Social media doesn’t replace individual interaction- it extends individual interaction.
3. Twitter and LinkedIn are relationship-building and relationship maintenance tools.
4. Leveraging these platforms does not require a substantial commitment of time or resources.
5. If you’re not connecting with your customers through these platforms, someone else is.

To access the full presentation, click here.