Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
How to Incorporate Social Media into Small Business Marketing
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 by Michelle Hartley
The way we interact with our clients changes as technology and
opportunity evolves. Social media is slowly becoming an efficient
and extremely effective way to reach potential clients. Engaging
with your target audience via social media is inexpensive and often
one of the most direct ways of communicating with your
consumer.
Here are some ways of utilizing social media to aid in your
small business' marketing plan.
Active Engagement. When speaking of active
engagement, it not only includes how you interact with
consumers via social media, but actively engaging and considering
the way your clients are interacting in return. As users "like" and
follow your brand, leave reviews and comments, it will be
beneficial to review and analyze this data to find out what your
consumers are responding to the most. In the blog post, "5 Ways Social Media Has Changed Marketing
Campaigns," from mashable.com, SVP global co-chair of Fleishman
Hillard Moms Practice, Liz Hawks notes that actively listening
to your audience will give you insight into the consumers' needs
rather than the brands desires.
Interact Directly. Interacting with your
consumer doesn't necessarily mean spending thousands of dollars on
advertising -- which is often difficult to measure effectiveness.
Traditional advertising is placed where your consumer will likely
see your message, but it is generally not by choice. The directness
of social media is like no other medium we currently use. If people
choose to follow you on Twitter or "like" your page on Facebook, it
is completely voluntary. Reaching out and interacting with your
social media is a conscious choice the consumer is making and
therefore creating "conversation" about your brand will only help
you understand your market further.
Monitor and Measure. Expecting to receive a new
customer the day you create a Twitter page is a tad bit
unrealistic. Creating an interactive Facebook or Twitter page takes
time and effort. Depending on what works best for you brand,
linking the new Twitter or Facebook page to your website or sending
out a mass email alerting current clients to your social media
addition will likely help spark the initial conversation. If that
first message doesn't seem to be getting a good response, no
problem -- social media gives you, as the brand, the option to
change or alter your message at the drop of a pin. By monitoring
conversations and feedback, you can adapt your message according to
what is or what isn't working depending on how consumers are
responding. After monitoring your social media and evaluating what
works for you, it will likely be worthwhile to train your employees
on how to best utilize your social media.
Overall, social media is an inexpensive, direct, and interactive
way to reach your client base. Taking advantage of a medium that is
completely controlled by you and reaching your target audience
directly - at no cost to you - can be an efficient and
highly effective use of your marketing efforts.
Until next time -
Michelle Hartley
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
DC IT Support &
Consulting
Outsourced Marketing Services
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