01/11/12 by Rachel | Blog, Brand Marketing, Social Media Management | No Comments »
When you are not listening, you are not learning; and learning or monitoring what costumers and competitors are saying about your business, service, or product is extremely important in defending your brand’s image.
Social media offers the ability for customers to have conversations and interact directly in discussing opinions about a brand’s service or product, may it be god or bad. Ideally, you find only positive messages about your brand everywhere! But rarely is that the case.
One negative message can spread like wildfire, especially in the hands of social media users where information spreads like a virus. You truly make your brand vulnerable to these negative messages if you do not serve as a source of defense and engage in online reputation management (ORM). Take the time to manage your brands reputation by listening, here is why:
1. Learn through research – researching the costumer feedback online, may it be good or bad, helps your business directly improve the services and products you provide. Social media provides information and saves you time in trying to get your customers to take surveys and fill out “how are we doing” cards. This is great a tool, so do some research, seek it out, and utilize it!
2. Crisis management – discover a potential communication crisis early on and work to engage in a marketing strategy to eliminate future damage or repair damage that has already been made. This is a great way to be proactive and act as your own online “virus protection.”
3. Protect your brand’s image – Engage in your own PR by defending your brand and presenting a positive image. If you listen to what others are saying, you can work to counter act the negative messages.
You heard it here; the best way to engage in online reputation management is by listening and monitoring what customers and competitors are saying about your brand. Now be proactive, and go listen to what others are saying about your business!
The latest issue of Webdify Magazine is finally out! This website magazine is your monthly source for WEB, SOCIAL, and MOBILE news. Get your copy now!
01/09/12 by Rachel | Blog, Brand Marketing, Social Media Management | No Comments »
Is social media strictly for the use of business promotion… No! Non-profit organizations utilize social media for community engagement to obtain support from potential sponsors. They do this by primarily bringing awareness to their cause in order to gain support. There are a number of reasons why non-profits to go about employing social media tools in order to better connect to the community.
Here are 3 reasons why:
1. Reinforce strong relationships – Non-profits use social media to establish and reinforce fundamental relationships with its sponsors. Before the booming use of social media, this was carried out through telephone calls, sending regular newsletters, or sending cards; all to provide updated information and strengthen the relationship among the non-profit and supporter. Social media, since it is much more rapid then outdated means of communication, works great to keep in touch with supporters in a more consistent fashion and at a greater rate; allowing for more outreach, more often.
2. Location Based technologies – Some of the newer emerging technology in social media incorporates attention to the location of a social media user. This is extremely helpful when non-profits coordinate charity events or fundraising events; it brings exponential awareness and support. It’s cheap and easy advertising! Which is a double bonus, since fundraising is the foundation to any non-profit organization’s success.
3. Online videos bring awareness and credibility – A lot of small businesses use online video, through YouTube or Facebook, to get their name out there. Can non-profits use the same method to their advantage? Definitely! Videos have the capability of spreading like wildfire. Think about it, if you create a video and tag people, then those people see the video along with any of their friends or followers. Plus, people love to be featured! So, get them on camera saying why they love your organization and how people can support your cause, or people sharing their successes with the organization. It’s a great way to bring awareness and establish a desired image to the public.
So there you have it, social media use can be just as be beneficial to non-profits as to businesses.
The latest issue of Webdify Magazine is finally out! This website magazine is your monthly source for WEB, SOCIAL, and MOBILE news. Get your copy now!
12/29/11 by Sam | Blog, Social Media Management | No Comments »
2012 is right around the corner and you are probably busy thinking of new years resolutions to make. But have you thought of setting new years resolutions for social media?
Bestselling author Robin Sharma once said, “Vague goals for your future promise vague results in your future.” So let’s set some clear and concrete goals for this new year:
X number of pageviews, followers, or likes. For example, you can set a goal for 1,000 more followers on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever other platform you use in 2012. This number is only a base objective – it should never be the ultimate or primary goal of your social media efforts.
If you have a 1 million followers, but only 0.01% take action (e.g. buy from you), then having 1 million followers isn’t very meaningful. You do need an audience, but the number is not a be-all, end-all.
Don’t fall into the trap of measuring the success of your social media efforts by this number.
Opt-ins, sign-ups and sales. These are much better metrics to set goals for. How many people signed up for your newsletter updates, bought your products and services, or became a new customer because of your social media efforts?
If you don’t know, then start creating custom landing pages and use tools like Google Analytics, which can tell you exactly where visitors to your website come from. If you already know the number of sign-ups that resulted from your social media use, increase that number in this new year. Challenge yourself and go beyond what you think is possible – don’t just settle for a safe number.
Become an expert in one area. Focus on one social media site, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or another site and know it inside out. Read and subscribe to blogs (like ours!), watch videos and pick up a few book relating to that site. If you’d like, you can even sign up for a social media marketing course. We have a free Internet Marketing Training course available. You can also follow other business pages and see what they do well and where they can improve.
Becoming knowledgeable about a certain social media site is fairly cheap in terms of price. But you will have to be intentional and spend a little time on it. It will certainly be worth it for yourself and your business. And if it takes you less than a year to accomplish this goal, move on and learn more about another site!
Listen more. Social media is about conversations, which means you can’t just keep talking. Listen to what your clients and customers have to say. What are their comments (good or bad) and concerns? Act on them and fix any problems they mention. You can even explicitly ask people, “How can I (we) help you?” Software like Trackur and Social Mention allow you to keep track of what people are saying about you.
Listen first, only then will others listen to what you have to say.
Now that I have shared a few social media goals for the new year, what are some you have set for 2012?
11/30/11 by Sam | Blog, Social Media Management | No Comments »
Social media and Web 2.0 forever changed the way we consume products and services. Instead of simply buying and consuming, the next generation of fans buy, consume and then share their experiences on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare. The proliferation of smart phones and mobile apps has only increased the speed of this phenomenon, making social media for business a critical area to manage in 2012.
With the tap of a few buttons, people can “check-in” to places and let others know where they are. Some share photos of what they are doing. Others might Tweet or post a Facebook status about their experience.
In 2010 alone, popular check-in service Foursquare had over 380,000,000 check-ins. People even checked-in from locations such as Whole Foods Market – a place that might seem too insignificant or mundane to share.
What does that tell you?
People want to share.
As a business owner, you can take advantage of this…
Be on these popular social networks, especially Facebook.
One study showed that 51% of consumers said they are more likely to buy from a brand they are a fan of or “like” on Facebook. Radio Shack reported that Foursquare users spend 3.5 times more than its average customer. There is serious value to being on these social networks.
But if you must pick one social network to use, pick Facebook. Consumers interact with brands more on Facebook than they do on any other network.
Leverage these social networks for your marketing
You can reward customers for checking in. Foursquare allows merchants to “create a special.” For example, one local gym gives you and a friend a free one-day pass for checking in. And you get $25 off a phone for checking-in three times at the Verizon store.
But what’s the big deal about check-ins? Think of it as a form of social proof – seeing that your friend is at a certain restaurant has much more credibility than seeing an ad from that same restaurant. And every time someone check-in, hundreds of their friends could potentially see it.
Create a marketing campaign based on the fact that the new generation of fans often Tweet, check-in, post statuses and take pictures of the places they are at.
[How To: Start Marketing on Foursquare]
Social media as a listening and sharing tool
People are sharing, which means you should listen.
What are people saying about your business? Is there something people want that your business can provide?
Using social media for customer service is one part of listening. You can respond to complaints and answer questions. JetBlue and Wingstop are two great examples of this. Not only do they provide quick responses but they also show off a human side of their business.
You can also start conversations on social networks. Ask customers for their input. Take a look at this screenshot my friend shared:
When you demonstrate that you value your customers, they feel valued and love you more. And that leads to even more sharing about you. It’s a snowball effect.
What it means for you, the business owner
Social Media has revolutionized communications and the relationships consumers have with businesses. It also allows customers to share their experience with others like never before.
So be where your next-generation customers are: Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and wherever else they may be.
11/21/11 by Rachel | Blog, Marketing Promotions, Social Media Management | No Comments »
Is your business ready for the upcoming holiday shopping? As one of the busiest holiday shopping seasons approaches, business owners should ask themselves, “what is my plan this year to boost my sales?” Every business owner should start creating sales and marketing plans in order to stand out among their competition; and using Social Media tools is by far the most promising method.. Here are 3 reasons why:
1. Traditional Marketing is outdated – Newspaper advertising is very limited in audience and has a lower chance of being passed along to others, which is critical for marketing and awareness. According to the Washington Post, there has been a continuous 20 year decline in newspaper circulation.
2. Everyone uses Social Media! – Facebook recently announced that they have reached over 800 million worldwide users, and they were only founded 8 years ago. what does this mean? People everywhere are starting to use social media, let’s face it, it’s the cool new thing!
3. Able to target ads appropriately – Ever wonder why local store ads are starting to pop up more and more on the side of your Facebook account homepage? With social media, you have the ability to take advantage of the users demographics info more easily (because it is more accessible) and can then target your ads appropriately.
4. Able to Receive Feedback – Online social media campaigns provide immediate feedback to market strategists. That is, you have the ability to instantly read client reviews or monitor how much traffic your announcement receives.
Don’t fall behind in the competition; establish your marketing plan the best way you know how, through Social Media!
