Everyone and their mother are using social media to market their gadgets. There may be people who think they know everything there is to know about social marketing, but the truth is, you cannot know everything about a platform that is ever evolving. Social media is not finished growing, and it never will be. The content of social media is generated by its users, so the nature of the content is always in flux.
In an effort to expand our social media knowledge, we unearthed four helpful tips that you may find useful when devising your social marketing plan.
1. The science of “trust.”
Social media is a great platform for building relationships with your customers, but you already knew that. What you may not know is that the trust you are building with your social connections is the result of a “trust hormone,” oxytocin. This hormone can actually change how people perceive others and the situations they are in. You can support the production of the hormone by engaging in trust building exercises, including clear communication, timeliness, keeping promises, and being truthful. The greater the trust you can build with social relationships, the more likely you are to achieve online marketing success.
2. Vet your connections.
Gone are the days of cold calling and stranger-to-stranger introductions. The Internet offers a wealth of knowledge about potential clients, so use it! You can use social media platforms to target your specific demographics. For example, LinkedIn advanced search allows you to search individuals and companies based on your specific buyer profile. Additionally, with Google Analytics, you are able to track how long visitors from LinkedIn stayed on your page. Once you have targeted your specific clientele, you can amass all of their public information into one place using CRM tools such as Nimble.
3. Get familiar with available resources.
The social posts you generate are only successful if your social viewers see them. Regardless of how many fans your Facebook page may have, if your social posts are scheduled for times when your fans are not online, they are not likely to see the posts. Using online tools such as HootSuite or Hiplogiq’s SocialCentiv can help expand your posts’ reach by scheduling posts to be repeated and rephrased at later dates.
4. Maintain an offline presence.
It is important to note that offline tactics should not be altogether forgotten in the digital age. To this day, many offline techniques garner better conversion rates than online means. That being said, your digital marketing efforts should support your offline efforts, and vice versa. One cannot live without the other. People often use online tools to do research on a brand before making a purchasing decision. In fact, 85% of consumers claim to have used the Internet at some point to find local businesses. An integration of TV, radio, print, and digital is key to having a complete and successful marketing campaign.
Maintaining a successful social presence requires constant attention and consistent effort. You cannot leave your social platforms unattended, lest you want them to fall behind in the ever-growing world of social media. Utilize social platforms to their fullest potential to research prospects, cultivate relationships, and gather data. Social media is the playground, so go make friends!
