2002 saw the release of LinkedIn, which has now grown to over 100 million users. 2004 gave us the launch of Facebook which now totals over 1.65 billion users. YouTube arrived at the collective doorstep in 2005 and now manages over 1 billion users. Twitter followed in 2007 and finally Google+ managed to make it onto your computer screens in 2010.
These online tools have helped to revolutionise marketing, creating new and interesting opportunities. What was previously more comparable to blanket marketing, in that advertisements were placed in as many places as possible in order to reach as large an audience as possible, could now be tailored to users’ interests through their social media preferences.
Actually, there are many, many more social media platforms and tools out there, with a varying number and type of user base; Facebook and such are only a few. The vast number of options available to both consumers and marketers means that whilst the audience is both already there and extremely large, there is a skill in ensuring that you are utilising the correct strategy, which in turn will lead to more sales.
Here are 3 examples where small businesses made sure social media has worked in their favour.
Make sure to use imagery
Coconut Bliss decided to get their customers involved online. Realising that many of their customers liked to take pictures, they decided to take pictures of customers eating their ice cream and upload it to their website. This made customers feel they were actually a part of the business. More and more people wanted to join in, meaning more leads, and so more customers.
Tailor engagement for each specific social media platform
Scott Jarvie of Jarvie Digital (www.jarviedigital.com) wanted to increase the number of likes and follows he had on a range of social media platforms including Facebook and on Google+. Of course, as a photographer, Scott already had a good repertoire of images. Realising that different types of followers would use different social media platforms, he made sure that his social media posts were different depending on the platform. On Facebook, Scott would post clips of trips he made, on Twitter he would post humorous videos and pictures (not always related to himself), whilst Google+ posts would contain more technical posts with backlinks to his own blog with guides for amateur photographers. This helped to ensure that Scott would attract a larger, and more diverse, group of people.
Make sure that your customers feel included
This final example is a little different. Whilst the other two examples made their customers feel like a part of the business, Herschel Supply Co tried to make customers feel like there were involved in running the business.
Herschel Supply Co wanted to make sure that they were listening to every single customer’s questions and complaints. To do this, they organised a special team to make sure any questions with tags about their company were noticed. The team would then answer them, allowing for customers to feel more included. If the question was a criticism, Herschel Supply Co made sure to address it and fix the problem for the customer. This was great as Herschel Supply Co was seen as more authoritative and understanding than other, similar, businesses.
Consider different factors when approaching Social media
Social media can be a hugely important factor in making sure digital marketing works for you. Looking at other areas of digital marketing, such as SEO, you can see that one of the factors involved in determining what search engines think of you is reputation management, something social media is integral in maintaining.
New Window Marketing can create your social media profiles, post on your behalf and create post calendars that would align with your campaigns and promotions. Our social media team can regularly engage with other users and find creative ways to gain more followers to your brand profile.
