Social Media has been most talked about ‘must have’ tool for business marketing in years. Everyone is doing it and –with a target audience of more than 1 billion people interacting via social media globally – you can understand why. Social media users represent 70% of the total internet-using population on the planet.
But before we get too carried away, it’s worth remembering that social media is just another marketing tool. It sits alongside a whole raft of other channels that businesses use to communicate with their audiences.
And as with the other more ‘traditional’ marketing techniques, the key isn’t just doing them – it’s doing them right. Many businesses make the mistake of using social media platforms to communicate in an ad-hoc way without integrating them into the business’ overall marketing strategy.
If you ask yourself a few basic questions before embarking upon a social media initiative you could save yourself time and money.
- Who are you trying to communicate with?
- Where do these people ‘hang out’ online?
- Which platforms do they use most frequently and how do they use them?
A lot will depend upon demographics – if you are trying to reach a younger audience, Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter could be right for you. If your product or service appeals to an older, professional group, LinkedIn could well be the place to build business profile.
Best results are achieved using multiple platforms to convey key messages that are tailored to engage specific audiences. You wouldn’t speak to your buddy in the same way that you talk to your grandmother. We are all skilled at targeting messages and using appropriate tones of voice – the same principle applies in social media marketing.
Do your homework… What are the rules of engagement?
You may have to do some market research to help you decide which social media platforms best suit your business. This doesn’t have to be costly and should be seen as an opportunity to connect with your current customer base. Incentives and giveaways to encourage feedback often help!
Once you’ve selected the appropriate platforms, find out what the rules of engagement are. For example, if you post as regularly on LinkedIn as you do on Facebook, your messages may not be well-received! The content, tone of voice and regularity with which you post should all match the platform you choose.
Integrate social media marketing with your overall marketing plan
Once you’ve researched your target audience and set-up your chosen platforms, make sure that your other marketing initiatives flow into and through all communication platforms (face-to-face meetings, direct marketing, media coverage and social media platforms). Businesses often sit social media marketing off to the side of their ‘mainstream’ marketing efforts and the result is fragmentation of message and confusion.
Your marketing messages should flow through all customer touch points and should act to create awareness, trust and knowledge regarding your products, services and markets.
Most importantly, having opened up this channel of communication with your customers, don’t just send out information – listen. This is the aspect of social media marketing that most often causes concern for businesses.
Dealing with negative comments or troublemaking on a public platform
If you feel that the individual commenting is mischief-making, you have the option to delete the post and deal with the individual directly, offline. You are in control of your own page. However, we would only advise this in extreme cases. Don’t be afraid to be transparent.
Always acknowledge and respond quickly to comments posted
A genuine customer complaint promptly resolved will result in a more loyal customer. We all respect businesses that are prepared to ‘fess up when they get it wrong. When we see businesses listening and taking a constructive approach to problem solving, it only enhances the business’s reputation.
As with the example above, if you have set up your social media platforms so that you are notified of any feedback/comments posted, you can moderate the page and decide whether or not to handle the issue publicly or on a one-on-one basis with the customer. Most often, the solution is a combination of the two.
Invite the customer to tell you what they want
Research -from a survey of 9000 consumers across 35 countries – tells us that 44% of respondents want to be involved in the development or co-creation of products. So here’s the opportunity – take your customers comments, concerns and ideas into account when you review your service offering. Include customers in the development of your products and services – no-one knows what they want better than them!
As seen in Brand Quarterly Magazine
Written by Lynn Wrightson, Integrated Communications, Social Media Mgr.
