Tag Archives: Instagram

Marketing

Twitter – The Most Misused Social Media Platform

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When you think of Twitter, a 140 character limit, a constant refreshing newsfeed, and the ability to post as many tweets a day without spamming your followers probably comes to mind. However, 95% of users, including social media marketing experts, have completely misused the platform despite growing a large following. For some, the user’s name immediately draws in followers such as household brands, athletes, and hollywood stars. Yet, for those who are trying to build their own brand from essentially nothing, their course of action on Twitter must be different from people who have been in the game for years who have transferred their followers and customers over from other platforms.

Twitter, much like Facebook and Instagram, is often looked at as a self promotion platform where wannabe influencers in any market try building their credibility through promoting their blog articles and YouTube videos. It’s the attitude of social media marketing experts that have completely distorted the minds of their followers, and have shaped them into believing that what worked for the expert will work for the individual who’s looking to build a large following. But when you look at the people who are succeeding on Twitter, there is a different approach they use to grow a following; brand reinforcement.

Brand reinforcement for you or your business on Twitter starts with retweeting, favoriting, and following others in your niche market. Forget about self promotion; it’s almost as bad as hard selling, except you’re hard selling yourself, and if no one is listing to what you have to say, you’re not going to grow a following that will engage with you or your blog posts. Social media experts get away with nonstop self promotion because they make a living off individuals who don’t know where to start on social media platforms, and as a result, they’ll mirror those who they deem to be credible or reliable.

Your business and or your personal brand’s growth on Twitter, will require a different path because you need to stand out from your competition. Twitter has evolved into an alternative news source, and if you can get ahead of your competition by becoming the “reporter” or lead blogger in your field, you’ll be worth far more than anyone else offering the same services or selling similar products in your market.

Maybe you’re a personal trainer or an experienced weightlifter looking to grow a following so you can share your expertise to become a credible source of information on social media. Twitter is the perfect platform, as you can retweet others who share similar philosophies on training while you’re posting your own tweets. Those articles you’re retweeting are reinforcing your position on weightlifting. Combining that with your own content, whether that be articles on your own blog or YouTube videos that you produce, your voice and insight will carry much more weight (no pun intended) and add to your credibility.

The question people need to ask themselves before they become influencers is, “Where do I start”? Brand building is a very long process, which is why before promotion, you need to reinforce who you are and what you’re offering. Anyone can create an account and start spewing every ounce of information they’ve retained over the years, but without having any credibility or brand to promote, your insight will fall on deaf ears.

Marketing

Unless Your Employee Is A Social Media Guru, Never Go In-House

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One of the biggest mistakes a small business can do is go in-house on their social media marketing. Unless that employee or you, the business owner, knows the ins and outs of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you should always hire either a contractor or a recent college graduate who majored in marketing and has extensive knowledge in SMM. Too often, employees who are sales representatives are at the helm of Facebook accounts, and as a result you get hard selling content that’s annoying and doesn’t get much engagement. With the lack of engagement and growing number of followers, you’ll inevitably give up on social media like so many other small businesses.

The reason many companies go in-house is because they feel that their expertise in the industry is enough to get sales. However, you’re just one voice of millions, and without proper promotions and advertising, your words will fall on deaf ears. Do you know the best time to post content, how often, and who you’re targeting? Are you using hashtags, following, and reaching out to potential customers who will be interested in the products or services you sell? These are the questions you have to ask yourself and the person you have running your social media accounts.

There are small businesses who have 5 star satisfaction ratings with many customers posting long and in-depth reviews on Yelp and Google. These small businesses need to leverage that. Clearly they’re doing something right, and without social media marketing, there are many potential customers out there who don’t know of their existence. What’s more interesting is that some of these small businesses are still advertising on Angie’s List and Yellow Pages, which in 2016, might as well be considered the telegraph as those have become old-school methods in reaching out to customers.

You have to ask yourself, “Where do my customers spend the most time”? Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are the primary platforms where people post and view content, so why aren’t you taking part and being a member of the conversation? Most small businesses could easily find ways to post content three to five times a week, and by combining your knowledge with the social media marketer’s ability to effectively reach customers, your business could see a massive growth in likes and followers, which will eventually result in an increase of sales.

Social media is a dedication of time and effort, so why divert your employees’ attention from what they do best, to try marketing which is out of their skill set? Your job as a manager or business owner is to put your employees in a position to succeed, and you also have an obligation to yourself, to put all your energy in running the business instead of fretting over weeks of no engagement on social media platforms. That’s why hiring a social media manager is very important. You know your business and industry, but not so much marketing, and that is what’s holding your company back.

Your business’ success in 2016 is dependent upon a strong social media marketing strategy and presence. By not being there when a potential customer is searching for someone like you who can provide them with the best service or products, you open the door to a mediocre company taking that customer away from you because they just happened to post an Instagram photo or Facebook post that enticed the individual. Not being on social media is a very dangerous game to play, and with growing numbers of small businesses joining social media everyday, you will be at a disadvantage when customers search for businesses who can solve their problems, provide great products, or the best value and customer service in your area.

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The Power Of Memes In Social Media Marketing

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What if I told you that memes are the most undervalued, misused, and overlooked marketing tool for businesses both big and small? A picture with a funny caption, motivational quote, or words that create pride for a certain group can be the most powerful use of communication between companies and customers, and the social media manager and the followers who like or follow the page. Memes are often looked at as non-professional in the business world, but the companies who effectively use them, could very well see a strengthening bond between them and their consumers.

If you’re on Facebook, you’ll see your friends post memes. Often these pictures have a theme that makes the poster prideful in what he or she believes or what they consume and own. I often engage with the local car scene being a car enthusiast. Owners of Honda Civics will post all the content they can find that assures them they have the best car. The same goes for Mustang owners and any other car brand you can think of. So why aren’t businesses doing the same?

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Taking a jab at Chevrolet, a Ford pickup truck owner created a meme that shows a Chevy pickup getting pulled out by the more dominant Ford. While at the corporate level, Ford’s official social media accounts probably wouldn’t post such a picture, not only to save face, but getting into a Twitter war, or Facebook feud, would come across as very childish and unprofessional. But for a Ford dealership, creating a similar post that may not be as straightforward, might be a good way to pry potential Chevrolet owners away from buying a Silverado, and instead seriously consider a Ford F-150.

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Who doesn’t love Oreos? By far the best cookie on the market, and as the meme suggests, you simply cannot have just one Oreo, it’s impossible. While Oreos are in a class of their own, companies can learn from the loyalty many buyers have towards the brand. There’s a pride in the cookie and those who consume them. You may eat Chips A-Hoy chocolate chip cookies, but everyone knows Oreos is the most satisfying cookie, especially with milk.

What we are seeing in marketing, is the growing loyalty and love for certain products and brands. These memes re-inforce the belief of consumers that what they have is the best. Memes aren’t just for products but also activities. People often post pictures with captions that make them feel superior for participating in a certain hobby, while others are looked down upon for not taking part.

The bond between companies and customers is beginning to get more intimate. Not in terms of romance, but a friendship and loyalty is starting to develop, and it can only get stronger with more customers joining the ranks of Facebook pages and sharing their love for a product or hobby. This is making it easier on businesses to acquire repeat customers, especially with the help from those business’ social media accounts who actively engage with their followers.

Business, Economy, Marketing

Instagram Has Become A Consumer-Friendly Platform: Which Is Good News

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Three years ago, what was Instagram and Pinterest? What value did they bring to the consumer, and were they worth the devoted attention by marketers? Some would argue that Facebook was and is currently the primary focus, and that it should be. However, has Facebook reached a point where not only the advertising has lost its effectiveness, but that, combined with Facebook’s evolution to becoming the platform to discuss social, political, and religious issues has pushed consumers to other platforms? Absolutely. There has been a major shift to Twitter and Instagram, and with that brings bigger and better marketing opportunities for businesses both big and small.

What makes Instagram so different is that the picture is what draws people in, not the written text below. Hard selling is very difficult as putting out quality, native content is a number one priority that will make more of an impact due to great visual posts. On Instagram, the consumers come to you. By effectively using hashtags, you’re drawing customers in, but the ball is in their court, not yours. They have the power to choose whether they’ll follow and consume what you sell, and they’re the ones that are engaging with you, rather than you engaging with them. Facebook has become a push platform, where Instagram is at it’s best when you’re attracting customers.

Companies are now promoting their products with the use of great content, and in-turn, are now getting inquiries about prices and services by serious consumers. On Facebook, it’s become rare to see customers engage with companies in such an open manner, unless those companies are very friendly, open, and direct through the use of their content. Small businesses ranging from selling t-shirts to car services, are seeing results through the content they share. Visualization is key. The better the picture, the more engagement.

Instagram is also a platform where it’s a must to update on a regular basis; four, five, sometimes even six pictures a day aren’t enough. But it should be noted that you have a clear strategy when it comes to the distribution of your content as certain hours of the day work better than others. To some degree, Pinterest has a lot to do with Instagram’s growth and maturity as a social media marketing platform. Pinterest is essentially the visualized version of eBay and Amazon, and through that, a great quality of content has now shifted to Instagram.

Consumers have a desire to become “friends” with companies, and build a connection through the use of content. At the rate Facebook is going, advertisements along with boring content is repelling customers, which may eventually lead to Facebook becoming valueless to businesses in terms of selling products in mass volumes. Right now Instagram is one of the hottest social media platforms out there, and it would be a mistake to not use it to your company’s advantage.

Prepare to put out great content and engage with your followers. Social media is changing, and Instagram’s current setup is the direction social media marketing is heading. Visualization will be key to selling anything, so it’s time to make the switch and focus on other platforms that aren’t named Facebook.

Business, Economy, Marketing

Sell Emotion, Feeling, And An Experience To See Sales

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Being a car enthusiast, and someone who is studying social media marketing for car dealerships, the notion of selling emotion, feeling, and experience is rather fascinating. A highly effective form of advertising that is often used in the hotel and resort industry, isn’t being utilized in other industries, or rather, not being used correctly. I believe that the greatest motivator in the buying process is feeling. When your favorite car brand promotes their new convertible, the scenery and sound affects draw you in, and if the commercial is successful, you’ll have a growing desire to experience what the actor is in the ad.

You’ve probably heard business people asking a salesperson to sell them a pen. Most of these sales pitches fail because they talk about the pen, but not about what the pen can do for you, as in how do you benefit from that pen. Selling cars has always been hard selling, and not about the benefits that buyer will see after they purchase that car. Instead of rushing someone into a hasty decision, either use marketing campaigns that strike at the heart of consumers, or consistently post content that gives a potential car buyer the desire to purchase a certain vehicle.

The home decor industry has fallen into the same trap, where spokespeople talk about “great deals”, but don’t try creating an emotion, feeling, or experience. What is better than sitting in an air conditioned house on a summer night, with a comfortable leather coach, watching a movie with the entire family? That’s an experience, a feeling, or emotion that many family-oriented adults desire to feel. We’re living in an amazing time where social media is dominating the marketing world, but industries aren’t using these tools effectively. Instagram and Pinterest are picture based platforms, and with great photos, you can create an experience for customers that will be desired.

It’s incredible that HGTV seems to be more effective at selling home decor products than the companies who produce and sell them. The same goes for the automotive industry where Car and Driver uses pictures, and posts content that could motivate a car buyer to choose a certain brand over the other. For Car and Driver, it’s not their job to sell cars, they’re specialty is reviewing them, and informing consumers. Yet, they’ve become a primary resource where car buyers could easily be influenced by a magazine article.

If you don’t start creating a feeling, an emotion, or start selling an experience, you will not see the ROI you desire from your social media marketing campaigns. Hard selling is slowly becoming the normal strategy for companies, not only those who produce the products we see on the shelves and in showrooms, but the ones who also sell them. How do car dealerships expect a certain model to sell, if they don’t promote their vehicle in a way that creates a desire to experience the feeling behind the wheel of that car? For HGTV, I get the feeling they’ve become more trustworthy and a better source of buying information on everything about homes and interiors than the companies themselves.

Social media has become the tool where customers grow trust in certain brands, whether that be a company, magazine, or television network. The reason why car dealerships and companies in other industries see low engagement rates is because they’re not posting content that builds emotion and a connection. The social media marketing era has created many winners in a multitude of industries, but now that social media is maturing, we’re seeing a lot of losers pop up, and that’s because they’ve resorted to hard selling. Sell emotion, feeling, and an experience if you want to succeed, because the hard selling days are over.

Business, Economy, Marketing

Not Marketing On Social Media? You’re Playing With Fire

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On my other website, Boston Auto Blog, I’ve discussed the importance of having a sound social media marketing strategy for car dealerships, but it’s essential for any industry. Over the past three months I’ve spent much time looking over companies’ social media strategies, while also taking notes on the businesses who aren’t taking social media platforms seriously. The findings were alarming for the businesses who weren’t consistently posting content, engaging with followers, or didn’t have any social media presence. We are now living in a time where marketing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are vital, similar to when big conglomerates moved to neighborhoods, killing the small businesses off in the process.

As in the early days of the shopping mall and companies who could market, advertise, and mass produce products on a grand scale, new businesses who have the foresight of marketing on social media are stealing market share away from local perennial powerhouses. In 2015, it’s a friendly environment for young startups because they can use social media to their advantage as the virtual word of mouth. They can engage with followers even before their doors open, update their future customers on news regarding their startup, and already make an impact before their grand opening. The local stores with a strong tradition of being a great place to shop at is no longer good enough, especially if they’re not using Facebook or any other platform.

This year, there has been a new car dealership that’s moved into the local area. Months ahead of time they were posting updates and promoting their dealership with Facebook ads, so when the doors were finally ready to open, they had immediate customers. In turn, some dealerships in the area started scrambling and began promoting their Facebook fan page, but it was too late. The new dealership was not only promoting, they were also posting native content of their showroom, cars, nail salon, and memorabilia store. So far after 6 months since their grand opening, they’re by far the most popular dealership and have a following of over 8,500 fans on Facebook, which is more than dealerships who have been open for decades.

Traditional businesses who operate the old-fashioned way are playing a very dangerous game. By not going digital and updating their marketing strategy, they’ll get beat by the companies who are primarily marketing on social media. In fact, I haven’t seen one commercial from that dealership. Their popularity arose from word of mouth, social media marketing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and engaging with the local community. They were already a member of the neighborhood before the store even opened, and no one can deny that it had an impact on the local area.

Social media marketing will continue to help grow the companies who use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter effectively, and will kill off the businesses who don’t take social media seriously. It’s already become apparent that this new dealership is taking business away from other showrooms in the area. For any company out there, the new kid on the block who is reaching out to the community should be putting fear in the hearts of the hometown boys who’ve owned the local turf for decades. You either update your marketing strategy, or you’ll be forgotten like the town diners and local stores that were eaten up by companies who could advertise on a mass scale.

Marketing on social media is serious. Without a sense of urgency, and not putting in the time and dedication to grow your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram followings, you’ll be opening the door for others businesses who understand the importance of online marketing, and they’ll gladly take your customers away from you.

Business, Marketing

Instagram And Pinterest Will Change How We Shop

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Remember the days when you’d get a catalog in the mail, or you subscribed to a store and received online catalogs which influenced your buying decisions? With the existence of social media, and platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest, that’s all beginning to change. Pinterest, more than Instagram, has become the social media outlet where 32% of users plan to go buy what they pinned, while 30% said they’d take the next step in the buying process and purchase what they viewed on an online store, according to a recent study done by Millward Brown Digital. We’re slowly beginning to see changes in buying habits and behaviors, and it all starts with visualization.

Why are Instagram and Pinterest so compelling from a consumer’s standpoint? For industries such as home improvement, home decor, and clothing, visualization has become key to online marketing success. People who need new bath or kitchen fixtures no longer have to look through a catalog and find what looks good. On Pinterest, people can now see what those products look like in a bath or kitchen setting. They can visualize and see themselves in that room instead of being given a photo of the product with a white backdrop.

As the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words” and it can’t be more true for marketers and businesses on social media in 2015. The reason why Instagram is successful is because of the editing and filters done by users to make pictures really stand out. Not only are they great to look at, but they’re beginning to influence consumers in multiple industries. You’ve probably seen Millennials on Twitter sharing photos of cars, houses, and pictures of happy couples with the caption, “Life goals”. When did this all come about? Nice cars, houses with luxury interiors, and happy couples could always be found on television, in a magazine, or through a search engine. Why now has every 20-35 year old become enamored with pictures displaying luxury and happiness?

Pinterest, Instagram, and to an extent Youtube is where this craze for virtual visualization has come from. Similar to the days of the first movie with sound or first television that brought color to screens, people want more. Back in the early to mid 20th century people wanted sound and color to help make movies and television shows more appealing and easier to watch. Today Instagram and Pinterest have given consumers pictures with real life settings where they can see themselves owning that car, living in that house, or being happy with their significant other. That’s why Pinterest is seeing a combined 62% of users making buying decisions online, or being influenced to buy a product in the store. Those pictures are almost a trial version for consumers, where they can see what looks good in their house and if it’s worth purchasing to make their homes look the same as the one in the picture.

With all this being said, Pinterest and Instagram are opening the door for virtual reality and point of view videos. Instead of seeing someone in front a camera reviewing a product, first person videos is where the imagination of consumers goes one step further. If you’re interested in buying a car, you can find multiple car reviews on Youtube, with similar presenters all saying the exact same thing, with the same camera angles, and none of them can find a way to be different in any way.

However, Winding Road Magazine offers viewers point of view videos with a first person look behind the wheel. The sound systems they use make it possible for people to hear exactly what the driver is. Since the cameraman doesn’t say a word, viewers can put themselves in his shoes and imagine themselves in that car. With over 150,000 subscribers and over 50,000,000 views, Winding Road Magazine is well ahead of the curve when it comes to the next era of technology and social media marketing.

Visualization is becoming a major factor in buying decisions. If you’re posting pictures of your products with white backdrops, your content may not be as effective as the company who is using photos of their product in a real life setting, such as a living room or kitchen. Virtual reality will be made possible thanks to GoPro cameras and technology coming out next decade. More importantly though, right now in 2015, you must use Pinterest and Instagram to your advantage and give your customers exactly what they want; a visualization of your products.