Mobile Marketing Archives

What Social Media Networks Are Right for Your Business?

October 14, 2012/by Corey Padveen

Which social media network offers you the best bang for your buck (or, rather, the best buck for your business)?

There were a couple of fun facts that came out of the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report that showed that 85% of companies with a dedicated social media platform saw a spike in exposure in their respective markets, and that 58% of companies using social media regularly saw an increase in sales. That said, marketing in the wrong niche might result in missed opportunities. While there are plenty of social networks out there, not every one is apt for a particular type of business, and vice versa. So which social network is right for your business or industry? Here are a couple of insights that might help you figure it out.

Facebook

As one of the most popular sites on the web and the largest social network, it is easy for companies or brands to get lost in the mix. Those that stand out most are the ones that offer engaging, insightful content and try to stay away from too much self promotion. Constantly pushing sales on Facebook might lead people to ignore, or even dislike your brand, and that’s the exact opposite of what you’re trying to get out of your social media efforts. So if brand loyalty is what you’re after, then Facebook is great place to focus your efforts.

Twitter

Again, the concept of self-promotion is one any business should try and avoid when it comes to Twitter. But that is not to say that you shouldn’t be offering your services on the social network. Twitter is the optimal space for engagement, as it is a real-time conversation tool and allows brands and potential (or existing) customers to open up a dialogue. It is there that you can nurture your leads and eventually, turn those leads into conversions. There are also plenty of industry influencers in the Twitter, and as we noted in an earlier blog post, these influencers tend to be posting themselves, so it is a perfect place to engage with them as well. That might be a little harder when it comes to a network like Facebook.

Google+

Google+ might not be a giant compared to Twitter and Facebook, but it certainly should not be ignored. Especially when it comes to marketing efforts. There are certain backdoor search ranking benefits to Google+ that few are taking advantage of. Considering it has Google on its side, it makes sense that there would be that added search element that other networks aren’t necessarily as apt for.

LinkedIn

This is where self-promotion takes on a bigger role. Not in the boastful, obnoxious sense, but in the sense that this business social network allows businesses and individuals to establish themselves as experts, chime in on industry- and expertise-relevant conversation and get yourself out there as the best in the business. There will still always be the process of lead cultivation before they become customers, but at least here you won’t surprise anyone with a sales pitch now and then.

YouTube

People love videos. Search engines love videos. But at the end of the day, it is all about content. Having dozens of videos, be they entertaining, informative or sales-related might be nice to see, but if people aren’t watching them, a YouTube page might not be the best thing for you. So make sure video marketing is relevant to your business or industry before jumping into it.

Pinterest

Pinterest is all about images. And we mean all about images. So unless you’re business or industry is a visual one, Pinterest might not be the best place for you to be focusing your efforts. But if images are your thing, then you certainly cannot be ignoring Pinterest!

Foursquare

If you’re not local, then mobile and geo-targeted marketing isn’t for you. But if you are, working with a social network like Foursquare to target potential customers around your business is essential. Mobile marketing is on the rise, and if done correctly, it can be an incredibly successful social media strategy for your business.

Which social network is best for your business? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

4 Social Media Strategies Businesses Should Be Employing

September 20, 2012/by Corey Padveen

What are some social media strategies you can use when getting started?

One of the biggest mistakes many businesses make when starting a social media campaign is doing so without any viable social media strategies in place. There is much more to social media than simply sending out tweets and posting to Facebook every now and then. Social media is an investment of both time and money (that’s right – social media isn’t free). Below are a few social media strategies businesses should be taking advantage of or at least considering when deciding to expand into social media.

1. Successful Social Media Is Not ‘Free’

As we noted above, using social media is not free. Of course, signing up for a social network such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn is free of charge, but managing these networks and driving business as a result of this activity will take investments of both manpower and capital. This is why the implementation of thoughtful social media strategies is an integral part to their success. You are going to need to know what your goals are, the appropriate channels to take advantage of, appropriate amounts of investment (e.g. activities such as Facebook Ads) and what metrics you wil be looking at in order to generate the highest return from your social media efforts. So while jumping onto a network might be free, getting the most out of it, like anything in business, is going to take a serious investment and commitment.

2. You Are Not the Center of Attention

Social media is about one thing and one thing only: being social. So, what will be the result of endless self-promotion on social networks? You’ll find your accounts on the island of abandoned brands. This is the last place a business wants to be, because it means that all of that investment we mentioned in 1 will be wasted. So how do you avoid this? Focus on others. Social media is about engaging with an audience. Tout yourself as an expert not by simply stating it in a tweet or post, but by helping others with their questions or issues. Do you know everything there is to know about web design? Well, instead of simply repeating that throughout the day hoping someone will call you, give tips, lessons, webinars or answer questions for people when they come up. This is a surefire way to generate business from the leads you find all over the social web.

3. The Customer Is Not the Only One in the Customer Experience Anymore

The customer experience now includes the entire network on which that experience took place. So when a customer announces that they hate your brand and product and will never buy from you again, use it as an opportunity. What? That’s right. Over 70% of customers who leave a brand do so because of poor customer service. However, a positive experience with a brand will result in that customer telling an average of 42 other people about it. On social networks, that number can be much higher. Don’t focus only on the good and try to hide the bad. The bad is what can help build your customer loyalty. Social offers an entirely new means of retaining clients, and the best way to do that is to take on poor customer experiences head on.

4. 10 Million Followers Does Not Equal 10 Million Sales

It’s a lot of fun to see your follower count grow, and it may be a point of pride to tell your friends that your brand has 2 million ‘Likes’ on Facebook, but how many of those followers or fans convert into sales? While a fan-base is a metric that should be looked at and evaluated over the course of a program, it is certainly not the most important metric one should focus on. After all, what good is having ten thousand guests at your party if you’re sitting alone in the corner because you don’t know anyone? A focal point for growing your fan-base should be specificity. Follow people who would be interested in what you have to say. Garner ‘Likes’ from people who are interested in your message. At the end of the day, you may not have as many Twitter followers as Lady Gaga, but you’re followers will be more likely to open a dialogue with you and possibly be converted into clients than millions of nameless faces.

Building up a social media program can take time, money and tremendous efforts, but if done correctly, it can easily be the most successful pillar of your business in terms of customer service and driving sales. What other strategies do you think would be helpful for a business? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Are Social Media Strategies Important for Small Business?

September 14, 2012/by Corey Padveen

What value do social media strategies bring to a small or local business?

For some, this may not seem like a puzzling issue. Early adopters of social media strategies would argue that any business, large or small, needs social media strategies in place in order to be competitive. But early adopters are still a minority, and there are plenty of small businesses that are still looking at social media as an added cost that may be difficult to measure. The majority of people still think that social media is confined to Twitter and Facebook, and may have little value for a business, again, large or small. So where exactly does the value of social media strategies lie for small business? Below are three areas in which social media gives small businesses an edge that their competition might not have.

1. Establish yourself as an expert both at home and away.

Social media provides a previously unexplored avenue for individuals and businesses that allows them to establish themselves as experts at a much faster rate and across a much wider audience. Take, for example, a local mechanic who specializes in European cars. Sure, people in town may know he the best when it comes to their import, and word of mouth helps his business, but there is a ceiling to how much business he can produce with a finite clientele. Enter social media, or, word of mouse. If the mechanic can establish himself as one of the foremost experts when it comes to repairing imported cars in the social world, previously unexplored avenues open up to him that would have otherwise been ignored.

2. Offer unique incentives to your social media audience.

One common concern when it comes to implementing social media strategies, particularly for small businesses, is the perceived difficulty with measuring the return from a program. While there are a number of ways to measure social media success, none is easier than creating promotions and offers exclusive to your social clientele. this both incentivizes your followers and friends on social networks to become active clients, and allows you to see how successful your social media strategies are by measuring the return on a campaign.

3. Engage with leads and customers in an entirely new way.

One issue customers must deal with when it comes to purchasing a product or service is the impersonal touch that comes with big brand customer service. Social media for small business allows one to engage on a one-on-one level and make any lead or customer feel like they are the most important facet of the company. (After all, customers are what make a company successful.) Social engagement changes the concept of customer service. No longer must a customer type a dozen numbers into a keypad before speaking to a call center representative. Using social media, small business can address client issues immediately and, more importantly, show the world their high-quality customer care, which in turn will translate into more customers.

These three points are essential when it comes to developing social media strategies for small businesses, and they show just how important social media is for any business – big, small, local or international. What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below or tell us on Twitter!

Social Media Strategies Can Drive Revenue [INFOGRAPHIC]

September 9, 2012/by Corey Padveen

Where is the value in social media strategies?

Like most companies, you’ve probably wondered how social media strategies might produce revenues and a noticeable return on your investment. This infographic from EventBrite details, in dollars, what social media is worth for your business:

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