Updating Your Marketing – Part 3: Social Media
Whether you’re a fan or a critic of social media, there’s no denying that it has a place in your marketing plan. In BC alone, there are more than two million active Facebook users, and more than 50% of internet users in BC are active on Instagram and YouTube.
There are basically two ways to use social media in your marketing. The first takes an investment of time; the second, an investment of money.
Engaging with followers requires a time commitment, but builds long-term interest and loyalty in your brand. Letting these customers be the first to know about new products, services, and sales, keeps them coming back for more insider information, also making them more likely to buy.
How-to posts and videos are also popular and create trust in your knowledge and offerings. Think about a cosmetics company showing how to get the latest eye trend, or a bakery showing how to freshen day-old bread. Consumers want to know how you can help them, and posts like this show them you care.
The worst thing you can do though, is to set up a social media account and then abandon it. If you can’t post regularly, it’s better not to have an account at all. But not having an account doesn’t mean missing out on all of those account users.
Social media is a diverse marketplace where you can hone in on the audience you’re targeting with paid ads. You can choose locations, ages, genders, and even interests, to get your ad in front of your target market.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other social platforms are great places to advertise new offerings as well as discounts. You can track results in various ways, and see if amendments make a difference.
This is also a nice way to gather information about price points and relative popularity. For example, you can advertise the same item at different prices or the same item in different colours. You can also offer a coupon or other discount for completing a short survey to get even more information about consumers.
If you’re not already taking advantage of social media in some way, it’s time to add it in to your marketing mix.
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