So what’s their secret?
I asked Nicole Gosz of Rooted Marketing LLC to tell me.
She writes:
“The companies that benefit the most are those that take on Social Media with a clear idea of what they want to achieve from it, a plan to reach their goal, and a commitment to working that plan.”
Many people think Social Media marketing is as simple as making a Facebook account, or hopping on Pintrest or Twitter.
And for some businesses that may be true…
But most of us require a little more effort than that. Knowing where your customers hang out online, and how they
like to be approached, is key information.
Are your customers on Facebook? Are they on Twitter?
How do they like to be ‘talked’ to online?
What role will Social Media play in your marketing plan? How are you going to use it?
Are you trying to attract visitors back to your website? Are you hoping to get them to physically go to your store? Do you want them to sign up to your email list?
I asked Nicole what businesses should be aware of before adding Social Media to their marketing plan. She gave me 2 key things to keep in mind if you want your Social Media efforts to be successful.
(2 things? That’s it? Can it really be that simple?)
Yes and no. Read on…
1. Social Media requires a commitment of time.
Nicole writes:
“Businesses that are looking to leverage social media should be prepared to develop content that will be valuable to their ideal customers – and be prepared to interact with users who connect with their brand on social channels. That content creation, promotion, monitoring, and interaction take time, and time is money.”
This is where a lot of businesses run into trouble. They create a Facebook page, get their friends to ‘like’ it. They update every couple days. After two weeks they see no results, and give up.
“The amount of time a small business would need to invest on Social Media depends on several factors including the number of channels they will be participating in, and how frequently they will be posting.”
Which brings us to the second key piece of a successful social media campaign: Planning.
2. You need a plan.
Before you know how much time you’ll need to invest, and where online to invest it, you need to do some research.
Nicole's advice:
“A part of your marketing plan should include assessing which social media platforms your ideal client spends time on, and their needs as they seek out and assess the solutions your product or service offers.”
Who are your clients? Where are they online? How do you reach them?
This requires some digging on your part.
One place to start is with your competitors.
Do your competitors have a social media presence? If so, what are they doing? Do they seem to be getting interaction with their clients? What sites are active? What sites’s aren’t?’
Or you could just ask your customers directly.
The next time you email your customers include a P.S. asking them what social media sites they use.
If all else fails, there’s trial and error. Make an educated guess what sites your customers use. Try one at a time.
Give it a few weeks. If you get some engagement, great!
But If there are crickets chirping, move to another channel.
The bottom line is , if you’re going to make Social Media pay off for you, you have to talk to your customers where they are, in a way they want to be talked to.
And if you need some help making Social Media work for you, give Nicole a call!