For all intents and purposes, the landscape of how consumers and businesses collect data on and choose their colocation web hosting providers has changed. 15 years ago, aside from just Internet based forums, the only way to research and gain an understanding of colocation and dedicated server providers was to call a provider of choice up, talk to them on the phone, send some emails and eventually take a tour of their colocation facility.
15 years ago, the sales team for a colocation data center hosting provider was the number one avenue in which consumers and companies would connect to their dedicated server host of choice. My o’ my how times have changed.
Building Trust through Social and Blogging
One of the best approaches to finding a colocation host you trust is to visit their social media feeds and read what they blog about. Web hosting companies of all stripes have taken to the social media model of “content is king”. Due to this, most providers, be they data center hosts or Cloud hosting firms, blog. These blogs are made up of company updates, response to interesting news taking place in the web hosting industry, how to articles on colocation tech issues and articles covering random tech subjects.
In a sales arena built on trust, one of the best ways to research a potential web hosting company is to follow their blog and social media accounts. If you like the information they are posting and if you need the products they are blogging about, it would make sense to contact them concerning a sales opportunity.
Whereas once a dedicated server sales manager would cold call you, social media has given consumers the power to research a potential client – to build trust in them – before ever talking to a sales representative.
Colocation and Twitter
Maybe you dislike WebHostingTalk and SitePoint. Maybe, you have been booted from WebHostingTalk more times than you can count because their company compensated forum moderators don’t like the content you’re posting. Ask any WebHostingTalk user about how tough their moderators can be.
Due to this, another way to find great real time conversations about various colocation providers is through Twitter. By utilizing hashtags and either positive or negative symbols (+, -, J, L), searches can locate sought after real time information about the services of a potential colocation provider. Moreover, once relevant information is found, consumers can interact with one another or with the provider directly to get questions answered and possibly begin the sales process.
Locating the Best Colocation Deals via Twitter
There is a trick to finding the best colocation solutions via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Ready? As noted, it’s called hashtags. Yes, those annoying pesky things teenagers on every social media network every overuse and abuse. Annoyance aside, in today’s social media world, finding the best colocation provider in New York City is as simple as doing a controlled hashtag Twitter search for “colocation”. By utilizing Twitter hashtag searches for “#colocation”, “#colocation sales” and various provider names “#Peer1” and “#DigitalRealtyTrust”, consumers can locate the best colocation deals currently active.
It should be mentioned, when it comes to web hosting sales, this time of the year (December into January) is an excellent time to be shopping for deals via Twitter.
Utilizing Twitter for Customer Support
Most major web hosting and colocation data center suppliers all have some level of customer support. Be it a full blown on site tech team or a remote email/phone based IT support crew, colocation suppliers have some form of tech support.
Due to this, for those companies who also maintain a Twitter or Facebook presence, consumers can openly contact them via their social media channels in an effort to receive tech support. When internal tech channels fail or act too slowly, it never hurts to post a negative message on Facebook or Twitter to receive quicker IT support.
So, has colocation in the age of social become a different industry? No. The only thing that has changed is the way in which customers and consumers interact. With social, consumers are in the driver seat. Drive wisely and safely.