SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are crucial components of online marketing for your business. Your customers are using social media to check out reviews on your business, recommend products and services, and share their experiences in real time. So yes, even a plumber needs to be on social media.
Social media marketing (SMM) provides your business with the opportunity to create and control your brand identity on an ongoing basis. Your customers will share their opinions on social media whether you’re online or not. Don’t miss out on being part of that conversation. Contact Imagine That to learn how we can help you leverage the power of social media in your online marketing.
What is Social Media Marketing (SMM)?
Social Media Marketing, or SMM, is the practice of using social media websites like Facebook and Google+ to connect with potential customers. This can result in more traffic to your business website and more attention for your brand. If word-of-mouth marketing can boost your business when it happens in person, imagine what can happen when people talk about your business online.
[Graphic of traffic sources for a website: SEO, SEM, SMM, Blogs, etc.]
Think of social media platforms as online coffee shops. They are “hangouts” where people go to connect with friends, family and colleagues. There are hundreds of social media sites, some of the most popular for SMM being Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Each social media platform offers unique marketing opportunities and each requires its own marketing strategy.
Why is SMM important?
The simple answer as to why SMM is important is that social media is where your customers are. Social media sites are among the most visited sites on the Web. Your customers use social media differently than they use search engines. When your customers use a search engine, they are looking for information, products, or services. When they use social media, they are looking for connection. That’s why the hardcore, “used car salesman” approach to marketing is so ineffective when it comes to social media. People don’t want to be sold something; they want to be a part of something.
Think of SMM as word-of-mouth marketing on steroids. Your business depends on the goodwill of existing customers and their willingness to tell friends and family about their experiences with you and your business. Social media provide your customers with a way to promote (or badmouth) you more quickly and easily than ever. It’s a simple as clicking the “Share”, “+1”, or “Like” button. Perhaps the most powerful reason to include SMM in your Internet marketing is that it allows your business to start a real conversation with your customers, inviting them to talk back.
Some Uses for SMM
SMM provides you with an opportunity to engage your customers, get their feedback, and adjust your business model to meet their needs. Businesses can use social media for:
- Customer service. Talk with your customers to solve problems and lend assistance.
- Product announcements. Introduce new products to a captive audience.
- Campaigns. Rally your followers around a particular goal or objective.
- Contests and promotions. Invite crowd participation with special offers and appeals.
- & more … Keep the conversation going!
SMM and Digital Marketing
Bad reviews and unhappy customers are part of business. Social media marketing provides you with a great way to repair your brand image when a customer posts a bad review or makes a negative comment about you. Social media isn’t just for damage control. Happy customers will use it to advocate for your brand, letting others see where your business truly shines.
Don’t get us wrong; social media marketing is a lot of work. It is real-time marketing, online. A successful SMM strategy requires regularly posted content designed to engage customers. It includes campaigns designed to extend your brand’s reach and promote your business. SMM lets you and your business get in on the conversation. Contact us today and let us show you how a digital marketing agency can use SMM to make a difference for your business.