The times when the Internet was just a haunt for geeks are over. It’s not even a novelty that in today’s world, everything is now online. The World Wide Web is now such an essential and integral part of our world that if the Internet ceased to exist tomorrow, the economy would be brought to a standstill. However, what is (relatively) new is that people are no longer limiting themselves to just passively reading and searching the web. Nowadays, anyone can actively contribute to the Internet and almost everyone does: Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Google Plus – these are just the most obvious examples. Online, the possibilities are endless and if you want your business to stand out in today’s market, you simply can’t ignore this trend.
Everyone talks about social media as the new, and not so secret, weapon in marketing today. In fact, social media has changed the culture of doing business, so much so that if you ignore the trend today, chances are you won’t be able to make up for it marketing-wise in the future, as the damage will already be done, you’ll already have been left behind.
How do you succeed in Social Media?
The possibilities that social media offers are endless. I would, nonetheless, just like to sum up the most important points.
1) Be social – be visible
These days you cannot implement successful marketing strategy without thinking about social media. It’s not just because it is nice to get over 500 likes on Facebook, but because social media has changed the way customers see brands.
The best advertisement is no advertisement – or at least a very ‘natural’ advertisement. You can try and persuade your clients to buy your products and they may or may not be do it, but what if someone gets a recommendation from a friend about a great product or a good brand? We all seek advice before buying something and we place more trust in our friends than in anyone else. By facilitating your customers to “Like” your product on Facebook or tweet about it you can get a powerful marketing tool for your business.
2) Interact with your customers
Social media is a great way to interact with your customers. Get your Facebook site ready and update it regularly. Your special offers and promotions reach your potential customers – within seconds. If you want to take it a step further there are number of other possibilities. You could run a competition on Facebook, do customer survey, reply to their questions – just make them interact and they will find, share and like you.
3) But please
Do not SPAM! It is great to be in touch with your potential customers, inform them, engage them but don’t overstep that very important line. If you end up spamming your customers they most likely won’t forgive you and turn away for good. Don’t try to fool your customers as they will realise immediately and will never come back.
4) Get the balance right
So social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools, however once you have put yourself out there you have to get it right. Be professional, offer high quality content but remember that you are talking to real people, so use their language and don’t scare them away with technical jargon. In a nutshell, be social.
Social media is a great way to promote your business, but you need to see it as a part of your overall marketing strategy. Make sure you integrate disperse strategies and set up an overall business plan. You will need to take care of you taxes, your own and your employees, and you might want to consider insurance. If you inquire about Hiscox public liability insurance you will find a wealth of information and tips.
The world is getting bigger, but customers are going local. At the same time that new companies are springing up all over the globe, more and more buyers are turning to the web to find local businesses to work with. That means, depending on your industry, your business website has to be ready for “double duty,” appealing to both customers in other areas.