By the year 2020, statistical research indicates that approximately three billion people will have access to social media.”
Social media helps to connect small businesses with their customers. Social media is a buzzword that people mention virtually every day. Most professionals in the corporate world view social media as something teenagers use and interact with each other. Oddly enough, many of the experts who say this are currently using one social media network or the other. The problem isn’t with social media; rather, the problem is with the perspective of these professionals on social networking communities.
The only social media network that most professionals care about is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social network that brings experts together to conduct business with each other and to share news articles that relate to their industry. Business-2-Business marketing is the premier method that professionals use to attract new clients. The only problem with this is that LinkedIn limits the ability to market to the customers need or want.
What if you found out that only 18% of LinkedIn’s users check their account on a daily basis? That would be quite shocking since 29% of internet users account for LinkedIn’s audience. If you do the math, you can quickly see that LinkedIn could develop into a game of cat and mouse. Reaching out to new clients, waiting for their response, and trying to remember what you wanted to say are some obstacles that you may have to overcome.
A question you might be asking yourself right now is:
If LinkedIn limits our ability to reach potential clients, how then can we maximize our global communication efforts?
First, we must identify other online platforms where potential customers are active. Did you know that 89% of LinkedIn members actively socialize on Facebook? Facebook has become the Google of social media, and that accounts for 79% of internet users. To put this figure into perspective, eight out of ten Americans have a profile on Facebook. The best part about this information is that virtually anyone you want to connect with on LinkedIn has since joined Facebook.
Before we delve into why you should focus your marketing efforts on Facebook, I would like to point out that it is a lot harder to connect with people on Facebook compared to LinkedIn. It is harder to connect with other users due to the design of Facebook. Like LinkedIn, people can see the mutual connections of a person, and also view your profile. However, Facebook is more of a family and friend’s community. Landing leads and reaching out to prospects will require your marketing team to develop strategies that help you to get in touch with the people you want to do business with through Facebook.
One element that makes Facebook different than LinkedIn is that Facebook puts relationships first. On LinkedIn, it is quite easy to brush shoulders with people in and around your industry. It is similar to attending seminars and professional workshops. The relationship starts with the common interests of your industry and can blossom into something more. Facebook, on the other hand, makes relationships more personal. Facebook users typically either won't connect unless they know you in person or if you share a connection with someone they trust. While this could seem like a negative point for business-2-business marketing, it also has many benefits.
Benefits of using Facebook as a Business-2-Business platform are:##
- Develop long-lasting relationships
- The power of word by mouth
- Fulfilling a person’s want
- Robust marketing system
- Dynamic platform
These examples only scratch the surface when it comes to utilizing Facebook as a marketing platform. Facebook marketing is very vibrant and quite flexible. You can decide where you want your traffic to go and what your traffic does when they get there. Your company may want to develop a brand awareness campaign to pull in other users who share the same interests with your business or direct users to a landing page to encourage them to get in touch with your company.
Why Are Small Businesses Not Utilizing Social Media as a Marketing Platform?
Small businesses will be able to reach a broad range of customers unlike ever before with social media marketing. Social media marketing will be the go-to method for most companies in the future. Less than fifty percent of small businesses currently use social media as a marketing tool. The percentage of social media marketing by small businesses is likely to rise as more internet users have access to the social media.
Internet marketing agencies are not completely sold on social media marketing. Despite how influential social media can have on the people who follow a brand, marketers continue to use advertising methods that are familiar to them. Social media marketing has become a huge market that is quickly becoming saturated by online marketing professionals. The time to master social media marketing is now, or else you may lose out on a significant opportunity.
Unfortunately, it appears social media marketing is overwhelming to many people. Trust me; I know this from experience. There are more social media networks than you can shake a stick at and they are all different. How should you use social media? Which social media network best suits your small business? These are some questions I hope to help you answer so that you can get down and dirty with social media marketing.
Big ideas start with small thoughts
Integrating social media into your small business marketing strategy can be quite intimidating. One of the most common rookie mistakes that most online marketing professionals make is stretching themselves too thin on every social media network. Instead of shooting your small business in the foot, start off small. Don’t be a jack of all social media networking platforms and a master of none.
The first important piece to figure out is developing who you are trying to reach. Customer personas will help you narrow down your potential customer base and allows your marketing team to evaluate various ways to engage your target audience. A strategy to help you cut short this game is by showing your customers that you are someone they can trust. Look for the major players in your industry and join them in conversations. Find blogs and online news sites that relate to your small business and request a guest blogging opportunity.
The second important piece to develop in the early stages of marketing your small business on social media is developing clear goals that you can track and measure. You want to make sure that your small business meets the objectives outlined in your social media marketing plan. It is important that your goals are realistic and the measurable data is effective to keep your overall small business marketing strategy focused. If everything pans out correctly, your small business will be able to determine when to make changes in your social media marketing plan.
Let your audience sell your products and services for you
What is the most powerful method that triggers customers spending? It should be no surprise that social media is the answer, but did you know that 67% of customers are influenced by comments and reviews by other customers on social media? That’s right, no glitter, no glamour, and no magic tricks. Social media is the new word of mouth tactic that any small business can use to help promote sales. Your customers virtually advertise your products and services for free through their social media connections and platforms as your small business kicks back and collects more patronage.
Okay, you are probably thinking to yourself, “This is too good to be true,” and you are right. Because your customers are in control of the content they share through social media, your small company will need to work extra hard in case customers post negative reviews that can damage your reputation. Thus, social media management is a must have if your small business plans to use social media as one of its marketing tools. Social media management tools will allow your marketing professional to stay ahead of issues before they occur.
Performance is all in the Data You Measure##
It is all about the returns on your investment. If we cannot justify costs, then it doesn’t make sense to continue wasting precious small business assets. Social media management tools are virtually everywhere, and each of them has their price range. It can be difficult to figure out which service will provide your small company with reliable data that your marketing team can use to measure and monitor your social media sites.
Every social media network provides some form of analytical data to their users. As you start using the social media, you will want to learn what the analytical data represents. The data will allow you to monitor your social media presence by providing you with a detailed data of everyone who has connected with your company. Once you get familiar with analyzing social media analytics, it will be time to upgrade to a social media management service.
Social media management tools allow you to delve into deeper analytical data and provide additional services. Premium features of these types of social media management include:
- Monitor user engagement
- Track social networking growth
- Bulk scheduling of news feed content
These types of social media management services are just the tip of the iceberg. Your social media management needs could determine which service your company needs. The only problem for anyone in need of social media marketing tools is the vast amount of competing companies that all want your money. Most available services offer a broad range of services that can automate your workflow and allow you to monitor your online presence. But like we mentioned earlier, it all depends on the needs of your company.
Services like monitoring who mentions your company, how many people have connected with your business, and scheduling posts for your news feed are just some of the tools that will save your business a lot of time regarding managing your social media accounts.
Which social media marketing tool should I use?
You have done the research and heard a lot of the services that online companies use. HootSuite, MOZ, and Sprout Social are all familiar names throughout the internet. Each one of these social media marketing services will provide your business with robust services to enhance your internal marketing team. Unfortunately, there is one problem that most companies have with social media marketing: effective branding.
Social media is the virtual world of your organization. Think of Starbucks in the cloud. You love going there and the products they sell. You love the atmosphere of their company. Your social networking should enhance the feeling you want your customers to have when they come to your location. Small businesses struggle the most with developing a social media presence. A poorly developed social media presence is in part due to watching what bigger brands are doing and trying to follow the trend of in the industry. It is wrong to have such a mindset when venturing into social media marketing.
Customers like to shop where they feel comfortable. If they had a great experience with your company, then chances are they will return. Coca-Cola struggled with this issue in the 1980’s when it attempted to outshine Pepsi. In turn, Coca-Cola failed, badly. They made changes to their long-loved recipe to provide a sweeter soda to their customers. They rebranded their product as “The New Coke.’ Customer lost their minds, and well, things got very messy. Coca-Cola quickly switched back to “Coca-Cola Classic” to prevent any further damage to their brand.
That is the classic story where traditional marketing tactics were used to determine the trends of the industry. People were not investing in Coca-Cola because they were thirsty. Rather, they were customers who were loyal to a brand that they loved and supported. It is important for your company to determine what you want to track and monitor through social media. Perhaps it is brand awareness, or it is lead generation. These different types of metrics will determine which service your company should choose as their social media marketing management service.
Social media will save you money
If you are a small business looking to transition into the digital age of marketing, it is mandatory that you develop a highly engaging social media presence. Traditional marketing techniques are quite expensive and rob your marketing team of their precious time. Traditional marketing methods are often quite different to track and monitor how customers engage with the promotional material. Social media is free to use, and most social media management services are cost-effective. They allow your company to choose the right setup that will fit the company’s need. Your business will have direct access to your customers and be able to assist them faster unlike any other type of marketing platform.
Social media is not something your company would want to jump into right away, though. Be sure to research which social media network works best for your business’s needs. Mismanaging social media could end up backfiring on your marketing efforts. It will cost your company unnecessary time and money to fix, and sometimes, goodwill too. Be sure to follow the advice above and map out how your business intends to use the social media as a marketing tool.
References:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/retail-consumer/global-total-retail.html