Social Media Marketing Is Changing Business
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Social media is changing daily the way businesses interact with customers. With the development of social media, companies are interacting with current and potential customers on a more personal level. This personal level of interaction through the use of blogs, networking sites, applications and online publishing to name a few brings marketing to a new level. Prior to the development of social media a business was left with one-way communication with its prospects. This one way communication was unable to develop “personal” relationships with customers. This personal relationship allows companies to gauge their performance within specific campaign techniques. Social media may be one of the biggest changes in business communication since the introduction of mass media. Social media continues to change and requires one to stay abreast of new developments. In Feb 2005 social media use was represented by only 5% of adult internet users. In April of 2009 that number had grown to 46% of adult internet users. Your company could be interacting and gaining personal relationships with 46% of adult users today! While social media is not perceived as a business requirement by some, I feel the numbers speak for themselves.
Social media was created to build communities and bring people with common interests and goals together are a virtual community. These platforms were designed to allow individual users to interact on a personal level and communicate directly with others. These networking sites create a perfect opportunity for a business to reach highly targeted consumers and build much deeper relationships in a fraction of the time required prior to social media. Social media marketing could be defined as a combination of efforts utilizing social media outlets to reach a targeted audience. There are several methods to getting your campaign started. A Facebook fan page is a great start but without proper implementation and management it will be perceived as unsuccessful by you. Social media changes daily, if not hourly, as new methods and tools are developed. It is imperative that your business stay abreast of current developments to achieve success.
We have defined social media and I am sure some are interested in exactly what it is. Well, an example would be Twitter. Twitter is one of the better known. It allows a company to build a group of dedicated followers interested in what they have to say. The key point is “interested in what they have to say”. These core loyal consumers have agreed to become part of YOUR network and are waiting to hear what you have to say. Think of the possibilities. You advertise a sale or coupon to a HIGHLY targeted audience. Do you think the results would be better than sending 20,000 postcards to homes? Twitter may not be right for some businesses though. It is only a tool in the social media marketing campaign. A word of caution, be wary of those building your Twitter follower list without targeting audiences. If the audience isn’t willing to listen to what you have to say, then they aren’t targeted! Another popular example would be Facebook. Within Facebook, a company can create fan pages and groups bringing their customers together. Within these groups customers could share their experiences. Now these experiences could also be moderated by someone within your company, which brings in Internet Reputation Management (a definite requirement when developing a social media campaign). These Facebook pages are similar in creating a following, but allow the customers to be engaged on a more personal level. These are only two examples of Social Media. A successful campaign will also utilize blogs, articles, press releases, applications and numerous other networking sites.
Social media can be a bit overwhelming for the new business entering into the internet world. A company will quickly learn that they can’t be everyone’s answer. Customer involved interactions will assist the company in further targeting their social media marketing campaign. From polls to surveys, a business can further determine the consumer that is the best fit for their company. The information received from these polls and surveys is then utilized to better refine a social media marketing campaign.
I know, social media seems a bit overwhelming. You have a business to run and don’t have time to create and manage a targeted marketing campaign. But with the ever-changing world of internet, can you afford not to? There are several internet marketing companies that bring together highly qualified and experienced social media experts. These companies usually provide a free consultation and can develop, implement and manage your entire social media marketing campaign. Think of it as outsourcing your entire internet marketing division. You get expert knowledge, advice and professionalism at a fraction of the cost of hiring at least 2 more personnel.
Social Media Platform Has The Experience You Require. Are You Ready To Begin Your Social Media Internet Campaign? Contact Us Today For A No Obligation Consultation.
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