Has a friend ever told you about a new brand or product you simply had to try? Were you unaware of the brand or product beforehand? Chances are you tried this product because your friend filled you in on its amazing benefits and you couldn’t wait to see for yourself. This is called word-of-mouth marketing, and it is one of the biggest and best methods of spreading the word about your products or services. Just as it works for you, it works for others as well.
These days there are easier ways to use word-of-mouth advertising. It’s called social media, and websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and yes, even LinkedIn, utilize these services. If you are a business owner, your presence on the web, and advertising through social media outlets such as the two mentioned above, is something that can take your business to exuberant heights.
No longer will simple SEO tactics work alone in promoting your business or product. With billions of people using the web everyday, thanks to the readily available web with smart phones and tablets, and a great number of those using social networking, you can see why social media advertising is something that you must initiate sooner rather than later.
Thousands of potential customers can be found using social media advertising, and believe it or not, the costs of using social media to network are among some of the best that can be found. Since there are several methods of advertising and promotion with social networking sites, choosing the budget you wish to spend on such things is simple.
When you advertise your product or service on a social networking sites such as Twitter you are putting yourself on the forefront of the latest technology. Every single day thousands of people across the globe can be found communicating with one another, getting the latest worldwide news, playing games and coming together to discover the newest best things in life. If your product or company is there, it is you that will soon find out just how effective these methods of advertising really are. Although it will not happen overnight, in just a short amount of time you can see for your own eyes how well social media networking can be. Customers you would have never found before will be eagerly looking for you! Furthermore, since the web is open around the clock, you can grow with social media 24 hours per day, even when you are sleeping.
How can you ensure that social media advertising works for you? Oh let us count the ways!
First and foremost, set specific goals for your campaign. This makes it easy to track your progress and learn how well you are doing. There are many goals that you can set with social media sites, such as attaining 5000 Facebook “likes” in a certain time period or getting 1000 Twitter followers. But likes and followers are not the real indicators of success. Think about things including Like, Comment, Share, Retweet, etc. When you begin to see engagement by your audience then you are truly on the way to success. Another tip: when setting your goals for social media, ensure that you follow the SMART rule- make them specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.
Next, ensure that you are active on your social networking sites. There are endless methods of pushing products and services through social media, and many sites in which you can do it. For example, you might want to promote coupons or a contest on your social media platform, but you must also interact with customers and let them know that you are a company that cares about their customers.
Finally, ensure that you manage your reputation on these sites. Just as there are social networking sites there are numerous review sites and forums in which a displeased customer can leave negative feedback or comments that could totally ruin your company and image. If you find a complaint, address it, and try to correct it quickly.