Social media has emerged as one of the most important forms of communication for businesses and consumers alike. In the past year that I’ve been actively engaged in Twitter, Facebook, Diggs, Stumble Upon and so forth, I’ve found a new world of resources, experts and friends. But it wasn’t until the day my mom asked me how to join Twitter that I actually realized the value of these networks.
Over the past few months every single business imaginable has created an account for all social networks. While some business are doing an amazing job marketing and connecting with their customers, other are doing the exact opposite. Although there is not right way for every business to utilize social media successfully, this article should help you understand social media and build a strategy for your marketing plans.
1. Know your audience
The first step for any marketing plan is knowing your audience. You should clearly identify who you are trying to communicate with by creating a detailed list that includes age group, gender, location, etc. You don’t want to be selling meat to a vegetarian, do you? Every brand should, in essence, be a solution to a customer’s needs. Although you should already know this, it is important to stay focused throughout your social media experience.
Define the conversation by knowing what your customers are talking about. If you are a local Salon/Spa then you should be talking about beauty, hair, style, fashion and anything related to the customers needs. Don’t try to sell them anything and definitely don’t stalk them to come by your products, just be social, personal and conversational. That is what these “social” networks are all about.
2. Build a reputation of expertise
If you’ve clearly identified your customers and their needs then you should become an expert in their interests and needs. Don’t just say “we are ____ experts”, actually show them. By actively blogging, a company can provide visitors with additional information, tips and knowledge. You can show that you are expert in your field by discussing it, providing resources and telling them how your services have help others.
When a company maintains an active blog they are more likely to build inbound traffic. An effective blog solves a customer’s problems, which in turn is shared with the customer’s friends and acquaintances. When a blog stays focused and defines a specific expertise then you’ll become a resource or a go-to point for anything related to your industry.
Likewise, you can use Facebook and Twitter to share your expertise with customers and friends. Engaging yourself into the community is one of the most effective ways to provide your expertise. I love Answering questions on Linked In, it’s a great way to network, gain trust and build expertise. With Twitter I’ll do the same and most of the time I’m sharing information and resources for my “customers”.
3. Engage the community
Most business overlook the importance of socializing in social media campaigns. Socializing is the very basis for these networks and any business that forgets this will inevitably fail at social media marketing. Any company can use Linked In, Twitter, Facebook or any other social network to start discussions, ask questions, make friends, and be conversational.
Some businesses, like Mountain Dew, use social media in an outstanding way. Rather than just giving away promotional items, they run promotions that require audience participation. An example of this could be a local restaurant that asks it’s followers to submit a picture of their kitchen via Twitter and whoever has the messiest could win a dinner for two. These kinds of strategies engage your customers and allows them to have fun while participating.
4. Learn from others
It’s never too late to check out the competition or other businesses that successfully utilize social media. You should constantly be researching and developing new ideas. The social media is so young that no “correct” strategy exists yet, nor will one ever. It’s all about testing the waters, learning what works and what doesn’t.
Designers typically explore the web to get inspiration, writers will go into public and businesses ask their customers. Perhaps a simple survey or a brief Twitter conversation could help you discover what will make your business better. Always remember that reaching out to customers is always an option, don’t hesitate to directly @reply a follower on Twitter to ask them about their thoughts.
5. Reflection and Analysis
After you begin a social media campaign, it is important to closely monitor its success. There are a few immediate steps that should be taken to carefully watch your campaign.
- Install Google Analytics to monitor visitors, content and trends
- URL Shortener: Always use a URL Shortener with built in click tracking, like Bit.ly or Is.gd
- Google Webmaster Tools allows you to analyze keyword performance and content accessibility
These tools will help you discover how people are interacting with your website and your campaign. Make sure to allow comments, feedback and social media sharing on your blogs and fan pages, these subtle options will help you gain feedback, analyze the results and decide whether to continue in a particular path.
Conclusion
Just remember that none of these tactics are guaranteed to make you money online. That’s not what this is about. This is about your brand being social. This is about giving your brand a personality and engaging with the community.
More and more people are becoming increasingly loyal to their brands because they have a personal connection with them. I’ve been successful in my industry because we have a small amount of clients at any given time and each of them knows me on a more personal level than big business. My clients trust me and believe in me. Social media can help you achieve these results if you use it correctly and effectively. Just remember to be social, fun and engaging!
