2.3.8　Social Media Platforms社交媒体平台

When you browse a foreign company’s website,normally you’ll find links to its social media accounts,mostly Facebook,Twitter,LinkedIn or YouTube.Individual traders,too,publish their social media links online.Nowadays,almost every foreign business or individual owns a social media account of some sort.Social media is so pervasive that you just can’t ignore them in your marketing endeavor.Compared with email direct marketing,social media marketing is mainly featured by its timeliness and interactivity.For international trade,social media platforms can be used in two ways:for brand-building or for sourcing trade leads.Social media has changed broadcasting,a prominent feature of traditional media,into a two-way communication.For brand-building,you need to select the right platform,identify key influencers and post engaging contents to create word-of-mouth online.For sourcing trade leads,you can establish business relationsby adding connections,joining interest groups,sharing a posting,commenting on others’ postings or creating and sharing your own postings.