Social Media Marketing
Social media has certainly dominated the headlines, and it remains perhaps the most important new frontier in the world of online marketing. Inexpensive and seemingly easy to implement, social media seems like a great choice for business of all sizes. With that said, there’s a right way and a wrong way to engage in social media marketing, and doing it incorrectly can be more costly than not doing it at all. This is where WSI can help!
Social media marketing refers to the “Web 2.0″ concept of interacting with your customers and brand ambassadors. However, don’t let the term “social media marketing” fool you. This is not the place for your company to using blatant advertising or bragging about your latest products. Successful social media marketing maximizes customer engagement to foster a sense of community and increase traffic through the “viral” nature of content/link sharing.
Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Marketing
Engaging in social media without a targeted marketing strategy is like driving across the country without a road map. Sure, you have a general sense of what direction to go in, but you’ll never find your exact destination without a planned strategy, and you won’t maximize your fuel consumption and travel time (i.e.: ROI).
So, the first strategy is to formulate a plan of action. You’ll need to be sure that you have the resources to successfully implement that plan. If you have limited resources, you might consider scaling back your plan to something more manageable. An infrequently updated social media page is the kiss of death in today’s fast-paced virtual world. It’s better not to have a Facebook page if you can only update it every three months. Your customers want to see frequently updated content, which gives them the confidence they need to communicate with you and potentially do business with your brand.
Depend on WSI to determine what works and what doesn’t in your social media universe. A results-oriented approach makes your social media marketing efficient and effective.
Social Media Marketing – Create Value, Engage, and Be Human
Consumers need a reason to follow your social media marketing campaigns – whether it’s on Twitter, Facebook, or some obscure social media channel specific to your target demographic. They need to know they will get real content, not just self-promotion and spam. Engage in a conversation with your visitors. It’s okay to automate some of your content, but not all. If your followers suspect that your social media channel is not maintained by an actual human, they won’t stick around. And while you’re being human, if your company makes a mistake – own it. Don’t hide from it or make excuses. Provide an honest apology and move on. This is one of the biggest mistakes companies make in their social media marketing strategies.
Consumers are more tech-savvy than ever before, and in a 21st century world, the kind of authority, trust, and expertise demonstrated via social media channels is invaluable.
Don’t get left behind. WSI has developed winning social media marketing strategies for small- and medium-sized business owners around the world, and we look forward to doing the same for your organization.
Contact WSI today to learn more about our social media marketing services.
