There may have been a time, several years ago, to ask if social media marketing could help your business. Nowadays, the more appropriate question is “How can social media marketing help my business?” The “how” part is important because social media marketing does not always work the same for every business.
It should be clear by now that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are not just passing fads and are not only here to stay, but also extremely powerful tools for connecting with and marketing to your audience. In order to leverage their power, they must be used correctly.
First and foremost, social media has become such an integral part of a business’s identity that consumers now expect to see regular and frequent social media activity. They view this as a sign of the company’s transparency and accessibility. By just having an active Facebook account for example, with recent posts and updated pictures, you are letting your potential clients and customers know that you are alive and kicking.
Secondly, social media is just about the best way to inform your followers of any special promotions, events or sales you might be offering in a time fashion. It can be surprising just how many of your followers are on one social media channel or another at any given time of the day. When you post information about a flash sale, contest or last minute offering on social media, you are not only informing your potential customers, but also giving them an opportunity to share with their friends and family.
Many businesses have found that Twitter, YouTube and other social media platforms are a great way to stay in communication with their target audience. They can receive more immediate feedback about products and services and get a better idea of how well their marketing is being received. This only works if the business is willing to stay engaged with social media. If you are only using Facebook to post a bunch of motivational quotes without ever looking for or asking for responses, you are missing the boat.
Not every business will use social media the same way and every business that does use social media will experience success different from the next guy. For some small businesses, it won’t make sense to post several times a day. This might lead to your audience shutting you off. Other businesses will find that only certain channels are effective for them. They might find that their time is better spent focusing on only 2 channels instead of 5.
There will definitely some ups and downs as you dive further into social media marketing. Not everything you try will be a hit. It’s important to remind yourself that when it comes to marketing, finding out what doesn’t work can often be just as valuable as learning what does.
For more ideas on how to approach your social media strategy and to learn the advantages of tying in print marketing with social media marketing, we hope you’ll give Printing Solutions a call at 480-596-6300.