We get asked all the time, “When do you think Social Media will go away”? We can tell you this: it never will. If you want your product to reach the next generation of consumers, you better start advertising and marketing where they congregate – ON THE INTERNET.
Here are five tips to improve your social media advertising and marketing:
- Be creative.
Social media posts should be a mix of content and photos, such as industry-specific posts, company news, media hits, and community events. Tell a story to build rapport with your existing customers while attracting new ones. Here in Fresno, California, your local Fresno Grizzlies do a great job of engaging its customer base on a daily basis.
This helps customers understand what the brand is doing and where it is going as a business. Do not just spam- converse with your consumers, answer their questions and ask them exactly what they are looking for. It’s OK to interact with customers online the same way as a person would interact in a face-to-face meeting, just be sure to keep it professional.
- Respond to ALL comments.
People like to be heard and find great delight in the ability to communicate with brands and know their opinion is valued. A response can be as simple as a “like” to a comment or “favoriting” a tweet.
Take a look at Fresno State Athletics. They like ALL comments and posts to their Facebook page. Not only do they like them all, but 99% of the time they respond to comments and questions.
This goes a long way with building Brand Loyalty and a sustainable, positive social image for your product or service.
Like we shared in our February newsfeed, responding, sharing, or liking a post goes missed more times than it should. Don’t be half in- commit to acknowledging your fans’ feedback.
- Build relationships and be real.
Social media focuses on instantaneous communication. Responses should be replied to within 4 hours (preferably 1 hour or less) and through natural conversation. Responding in a quick, timely manner will help alleviate any frustrations and build brand advocates. MarketingPilgrim.com explains this best in laymen’s terms.
Take Kings River Expeditions for example, shown below. Their response was less than a minute after the post. This is a perfect example of a company using the “best practice method” . Not only do they “like” almost every post by a customer, they also have routine engagement with their clients.
- Address negative comments.
Every company will encounter a negative or unfavorable comment. Don’t ignore it. Own it! Applebee’s did us all a favor and wrote the NO NO book on this one. Take the learning lesson here and address the issue so future customers can see that you responded, then move into problem solving and making the situation right through private messaging.
Avoid the temptation to bring emotion to posts. If you do this, the social media world will eat you alive. Besides private messaging, there are many other ways to address a negative comment. Figure out the best medium for your business and implement it into your social management strategy.
- Have fun.
Social media is a platform that offers a chance to connect with customers directly, so take advantage of the opportunity and have fun with posts. Consumers want to engage with fun, light-hearted content.
Here is a fun Do It Yourself Pottery place in Lincoln, Nebraska called Paint Yourself Silly. They have an excellent mixture of fun staff posts, interesting activities with customers, and great pictures of the things they do in their shop.
Social Media is the only marketing tool that allows you to connect directly to your customer to have a conversation. Social Media Marketing is a powerful resource, so engage with your fans and provide them with special offers for being a loyal brand advocate.
If you are interested in learning more about brand loyalty, generation marketing, or ways that your business can market and advertise, feel free to CONTACT US for a free consultation.
