There’s no better place to try and sell your products or services than on a platform where millions of people are connecting and engaging.
Social media has carved a very permanent place in our society and has integrated into our daily lives. It comes as no surprise that marketing would find its way into the social networks. Sure, social networks over the years have come and gone. MySpace and Friendster have made their exit as social media networks like Facebook dominated the space.
Time will tell if any new social networks will replace Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, but whatever social platform will dominate in the coming years; it is certain that social media is here to stay. Social media marketing strategies are practiced by everyone from individuals to big brand industries across multiple social networks, social geolocation services, review sites, forums and message boards.
There’s a lot of misinformation being exchanged about social media marketing, but also plenty of good reliable sources if you know where to find them. But putting the statistics aside, for now, there are also few half-truths about social media marketing that we wanted to help clarify.
1. It’s free.
While paid advertising is entirely optional, this may be the only alternative for businesses who desperately need to compete with their rivals who are already benefiting from paid advertising. Most had seen huge jumps in numbers in both followers and conversions when they invested in paid social campaigns.
Yes, creating an account on social media is absolutely free. There are no costs to set up your profile. You won’t spend a dime uploading a profile picture of your logo and choosing a cover photo showcasing your best selling products. You won’t shell out any money typing out your statuses attached with high-resolution images of the grand opening of your storefront. Taking a photo on your phone thoughtfully choosing a filter, adding your caption, posting it on Instagram and then sharing it on Facebook is also free, and Tweeting as often as you want on will also cost you nothing.
But with the amount of effort it took you to choose the right photo, research the trending hashtags and reply to the comments that come in, you realize that the one thing you did spend was time. And in the fast-paced, competitive industry of sales, particularly on the web, the currency of time is valuable, plus the money you need to invest for real results. So while it’s sure is free to set up an account it will cost you plenty of time and resources to get real results on Social Media.
2. There’s a secret formula.
There’s no guarantee for social media success because there’s no single approach that applies to all. Social media marketing strategies are specific to your unique market and target demographics. What works for a giant shoe brand may not work for a local plumbing service, or restaurant.
The shoe brand would benefit the most by targeting a larger audience with eye-catching visuals, responsive customer service, and engaging activity on their social media business page.
A local plumber wouldn’t need to get the attention of an international market but should focus on targeting consumers in his neighborhood. There would be no sense to try to sell his services to a customer whose home he can’t physically reach.
Certain industries seem to benefit the most from social media marketing such as; real estate, entertainment, retail, fashion, restaurants, recruitment, and even education. Industries such as these are more naturally suited for social media marketing and their audience are mostly already online and active on their own social media networks.
There are also traditional industries that you wouldn’t expect to perform well on social media such as science and engineering, manufacturing and B2B consulting. However, you’ll still see them finding their place on the web as they discover that they can utilize the power of social networks to generate a following to enhance their brand identity.
3. Social media marketing will pay off instantly.
Because there is no single configuration that promises instant results, you may have to wait awhile before your efforts turn into actual sales. While it is entirely possible for you to see conversions from the moment you post, share, tweet that you’re open for business; don’t forget that your ROI is a much more significant metric to be tracking. Initially, you may see a surge in sales but is it enough to guarantee a return on your investment. Is there any money left after you’ve subtracted the money and hours you’ve already spent?
Depending on your line of business and social media marketing strategy, it could take just days to potentially years to start generating returns. It’s another thing entirely if your social media goal is not to generate sales but to raise awareness as you create a brand identity. In this case, your idea of results would be greatly improved.
4. More Followers = More Success
Imagine yourself trying to sell basketball shoes at a soccer stadium packed with fans.
Without the right audience, your products and services will go unnoticed. You could have half a million followers on Facebook and even more on Twitter, but if they are not your target market, then your efforts are useless.
You’ve probably discovered that much of social media is already being automated by many companies. With the click of a button, they can raise your following from 5 to 5,000, but having a lot of followers doesn’t mean you have a strong following. You can’t automate genuine interest and real engagement. It’s very important that you discover who your target market is, how to find them on social media, and then work to gain them as followers overtime, rather than look for quick numbers.
5. You don’t need to use social media every day to get results.
Maybe you figure that you only need to use social media when you’ve got a business announcement.
One of the worst things you could do when marketing on social media is keeping your potential customers waiting. With so many consumers choosing to place their inquiries directly on your timeline or comment on your products, you could miss a sale by not responding in a timely manner.
We’re not saying that you should be offering 24/7 customer support. But consider the number of missed opportunities for a sale when you don’t connect to a potential customer right away or within the same day.
6. Delete negative comments. They will hurt your business.
Just as sweeping the dirt under the rug didn’t make your house cleaner, deleting negative comments won’t make haters go away. In fact, deleting their comment may be an invitation for them to post another comment, this one packed with a little more heat in defense of the one you deleted.
Negative comments give you the opportunity to practice good online customer service. Give careful thought to your response. Let your other followers see how professional you are when addressing bad reviews. It will show that you value the opinions of your customers and appreciate the chance to better the service or product you offer.
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Despite all of the social media lies, and half-truths spread about online marketing; social media marketing remains the most engaging and cost-effective online marketing strategy.
Social media has already proven that it’s not going away anytime soon, and that social platforms are evolving along with it’s users. Consumers are responding to social media marketing because social media is adapting to consumers and making it easier to connect with brands. It’s important to make sure that you set up your strategy right from the beginning so that you can avoid any wasted time or money. If you feel you need help with your social media strategy or would like to chat further on the topic feel free to connect with me here.
Jason Gordon, Founder – Strong Social
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