Tag Archives: Twitter

Business, Marketing

How Social Media Marketing Can Change the Perception of Marketers

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salesman
hahatango / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The advertising and marketing industry is always looked down upon by consumers, and rightly so. At least once in their lifetime they were fooled into buying a product that either didn’t live up to expectations or was a complete waste of money that some cold-calling marketer, or even salesperson, pressured them into buying. With movies depicting advertising agents and marketers in a bad light, the perception consumers have of the industry isn’t a good one, but with social media that can all change. Needless to say, there will still be dishonest marketers trying to make money off customers, but for the honest ones, here is your time to shine.

Social media marketing, whether on Facebook, Twitter, or any other platform, gives the marketer the opportunity to be not only professional, but social and real. Just as the company he or she works for, the marketer has a reputation that can easily be tarnished, and have to face the repercussions of treating a customer poorly for years to come. Because of social media and the internet, our faces and information about us is accessible and customers can post reviews about companies or individuals and also confront these businesses and individuals through direct messaging. This should be the first realization for not only marketers, but anyone who is trying to build a reputation, attract clients, or prove to followers that you’re an experienced, credible professional in your field.

In my time as a sports journalist and editor, my primary goal was to give accurate information about the team I was writing about. So it was inexcusable to post an article with a title that was misleading, with the knowledge that the site could be looked at as a blog that gives out false information, and pulls the bait and switch. This can be applied to social media marketing. When displaying the product or service on your Facebook page, first think as a customer and what you would want to see from a business you shop at. Next, don’t give out false or misleading information; be up front and honest with factual information. Lastly, don’t just tell your customers why they should buy the product or service, but show them. Link to other sites that backup the information you’re telling people. By giving the customer independent information, it further validates your credibility.

Always have your customers’ best interest in mind. Treat them well, and they will return. That’s why social media can change the perception consumers have towards marketers and advertisers in general. Show them that you’re as much of a customer as they are. Be real and honest, and you’ll have customers for life who will return and spend their money for your product or service. We all see the fake side of social media when used for personal use, but for businesses, this is your opportunity to show how real and serious of a company you are. A customer’s trust is crucial to have a surviving and thriving business, and with social media marketing, you can prove to everyone why they should buy your products, or walk into your store.

Marketing

Social Media Matters: Engage With Your Customers, Even in a Casual Setting

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Facebook, Twitter, and many social media platforms allow businesses to connect with their customers and acquire future consumers by specifically targeting their audience through ads and updates on their pages and accounts. However, connecting with your followers or customers doesn’t have to be confined to formal engagement and can be used even when using your own personal Facebook or Twitter account. You may ask how, and it’s actually really simple; something you might already be doing without even thinking about it.

A few days ago I had casually commented on an update a popular car blog had posted on their Facebook fan page. An SUV, that in my opinion wasn’t practical for any consumer financially, was loved by many who commented on the same picture and link. A person responded to my comment giving great feedback, which wasn’t his intent, as he made the case that this SUV was capable of going off-road, and the vehicle was well worth the price.

A lot can be learned from this, and as a marketer, if I was to come up with a marketing strategy for that specific vehicle, the feedback that was given allows me to tailor any advertisement towards an audience that wants that SUV. Off-road capability, along with it’s AWD, and cargo space, should be the main focus when advertising that vehicle. Now that we’ve got inside the consumer’s mind and understand what he or she wants in a particular vehicle, it can now be applied to both the auto industry and other business sectors.

Very few businesses do this, but asking the buyer why he or she is buying the product they brought to the counter gives invaluable information to the marketer. There is no reason for them to fill out a form stating why they bought it, but a simple question that can then be applied to the next customer that walks through your door. If you own a toy store and a kid comes up to the cash register with an action figure or play set, seeing his or her excitement for it, and listening to what they’re saying, then allows you to market that toy to attract kids who want that toy, but didn’t know it was in your store.

This shouldn’t be confined to products either, as even a gym can get positive or negative insight into what the consumer or gym goer wants. I’ve been asked, “How did you find out about our gym?”, but I’m never asked “What do you like or dislike about our gym?”. The second question is almost, if not more important than the first, as the customer’s response may make you consider changing what your gym offers. If a majority of customers express that they want more free weights and less machines, action should be taken to make the people who workout there happy. Simply asking that question could save you time and money, and keep gym goers coming through your doors.

Consumers don’t want formal marketing, questionnaires to fill out, or annoying ads that hinder what they want to do. Engagement on social media, both on your fan page and during your own personal time, along with asking friendly and open questions, is going to make the potential customer more comfortable. You can learn a lot from what the consumers are saying, but you’ve got to be willing to listen. One status on Facebook pertaining to a product or interest is a great way to learn the buying behaviors of your customers. If you can understand the psychological reasoning behind their buying habits, you’ll be able to market and advertise much more efficiently and effectively.

Business, Marketing

Social Media Matters: Twitter Incorporating an Analytics Page?

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A few days ago, I received an email from Twitter for one of my accounts, giving me information on the amount of views I got on a particular link I posted. It told me what was the most popular tweet I shared during the week, and also how many followers I accumulated. As most of you know or have probably seen, Twitter has made changes to profile pages, making all tweets more vivid and enabling you to put a popular tweet at the top of your Twitter timeline. With these subtle add ons and changes, could we be seeing the future and growing potential Twitter may have for businesses both big and small?

The first thought that came to mind with the analytics email was that this would be an important tool to gauge how effective marketing and advertising on Twitter really is. This also gives the user valuable information as they’ll get a better idea as to what content draws the most views and creates buzz. Right now that is what’s lacking from Twitter, and while your website’s analytics page gives you certain information, it doesn’t exceed the boundaries of the site itself.

If this becomes an added feature to Twitter, this further enhances the effectiveness of social media marketing, and gives the business owner another tool to see what works for the company and what doesn’t. Search engine optimization is slowly being replaced by social media optimization, which unlike Google, Yahoo, and Bing, targets a specific audience and gives the customer or viewer exactly what they want. This also works for the marketer or business owner, as social media is beginning to drive more traffic to sites making keywords obsolete as opposed to hashtags, which are being used across most social media apps.

Also by giving the statistics on what the most popular tweet of the week was, it then lets the account manager know what gets attention and how other users respond to it. Instead of sitting around thinking of what to Tweet next or thinking of a clever statement, companies could use the same blueprint based off the analytics to tailor to a specific audience, something that they don’t have right now, forcing them to use their own judgment. If business owners know what makes their followers tick, they’ll continue posting content that creates interaction and further development of the customer base on social media.

Facebook, Twitter, and all other social media outlets are the future of marketing and advertising, and receiving an email from Twitter that gives me information on my tweets and links, proves that how businesses reach potential customers is changing. It will be interesting to see if Twitter does in fact implement an analytics page on the site itself, or continue sending emails to their users. Either way, this could be vital to a business, especially those who market and advertise on social media.

However, the only question that has to be raised is whether this will be used for businesses only. Analytics to companies and marketers are extremely important, but to a high schooler or college student who has no interest in either career paths wouldn’t find an analytics page useful.

Business, Marketing

Social Media Matters: Are Websites Still Necessary For Businesses?

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In a marketing sense, Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized how businesses advertise their products and reach out to their customers. Is it possible that the days of the website directing traffic to the company are over?

When going to a business’s website, whether it’s a store down the street, marketing firm, or contracting company, what do they all have in common? Usually an about page, what they do, who’s the owner, and how the long the company has been in business. There will be a contact information section where customers can see where the store is, what number to call, or who to e-mail. But social media, especially Facebook, can do all these things and more.

One of the biggest issues facing business owners is drawing in viewers and potential customers. SEO, or “search engine optimization”, has been taught to be the most effective way to reach a countless number of people, but business owners and even bloggers, either don’t have the time to learn it, or just don’t want to do it period. This is where the power of Facebook comes in.

“Like” pages can be a simpler solution and much easier to maintain than a website or blog. You can get your point across in a few sentences, post pictures of your product, and connect with your customers on a more personal level that websites can’t offer. Your contact information will be at the top of the page with your company’s phone number, and address if you have a brick and mortar store.

Best of all, you can advertise your Facebook page with ads that specifically target people who will be interested in what you’re selling. For $5 to $20 a day you can get the word about your business out to customers, with a certain amount of “likes” daily varying on how much money you spend on the Facebook ads. So far there have been a few companies who have only marketed and advertised on Facebook through ads on their page, and are reaping the benefits for it.

It’s still taught that social media should reinforce the main website, but after seeing firsthand that companies can thrive on social media alone, the website may not be as necessary as previously thought. If you already have a website, that’s great, but take the next step and get on social media. The future of marketing and advertising is here, and you want to be at the front of the line before your competitors finally see the potential social media has on their businesses.

Business, Marketing

Marketing Matters: Coming Up Big In The Clutch

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Former JCPenney, Helena, AR
joseph a / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

 

Usually on Superbowl Sunday, the game and the commercials are what grabs people’s attention. This year however, even for a few minutes, J.C. Penney stole the spotlight on Twitter by posting some tweets that looked as if a kindergardener had taken over the account

 

 

 

Seeing the opportunity to reply with a funny comment that also had to do with their product, Doritos and Kia tweeted to J.C. Penney.

 

 

 

Whoever is handling the Twitter accounts for Kia and Doritos should be given a raise. They capitalized on another company’s mistake, cleverly responding to also get in on the spotlight. Twitter was ablaze with these tweets, and instead of watching a very disappointing Superbowl, people on the social media site were entertained by the companies’ responses and J.C. Penney’s inability to write a coherent sentence.

Forty-five minutes after those two tweets were posted, the clothing store then explained why the mistakes were made, by marketing their new “Go USA” Olympic mittens.

 

 

Whether intentional or not, no one believed J.C. Penney’s excuse, but some people responded by applauding them for attempting a marketing ploy. Doritos and Kia took advantage of an opportunity on Twitter, and while being respectful, they successfully drew attention to their products and Twitter page.

Last night was the perfect example as to why marketing and advertising on social media is extremely crucial. For J.C. Penney, they may not have gotten the publicity they had wanted, but in the midst of their mistake they found a way to spread the word about their new mittens. Kia and Doritos on the other hand helped themselves by coming up with funny responses that were tailored to  their clientele and industry.

As we all read and saw last night, social media can be your best friend or worst enemy. If it was a marketing ploy by J.C. Penney, it didn’t exactly work, but they did get attention. For the other companies that played a part in the responses to the clothing retailer, they were the winners of the night, as they too got attention and some laughs.

Business, Marketing

Marketing Essentials Every Small Business Must Utilize

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A Portable Joanna!
National Library of Ireland on The Commons / Foter.com

 

There are dozens of businesses in your city or town, but what are most of them not doing? Marketing and Advertising. There is the occasional ad in the local yellow pages, but it’s the 21st century, not many people look to the phone book when they’re looking for someone or some business. Marketing on the internet, email, and social media should be a must for all businesses, but there are a number of companies that don’t have a Facebook page, Twitter account, or email subscriptions to attract and interact with regular and new customers. So let’s take a more in depth look at all aspects of social media and how they can be used to help your business prosper.

Starting with email subscriptions; this is a great way to personally send information about products, sales and discounts, or any news that could be important to your customers. We all get emails from bigger companies, whether a clothing store, magazine subscription, or any other place you have shopped in the past. But why aren’t small businesses doing the same? To attract customers and give reasons to return for regular customers, you must draw them back, and even if you have a sale or a discount, they’ll never know unless you’re informing them that the product is on sale via email. Websites are a great place to show your products and what is in your inventory, but there is a chance customers won’t go to the site, you must go to them, and that’s where the use of email comes in.

Social media is the future of marketing and advertising. Twitter and Facebook are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential technology can have on your business. A Facebook page can be used to draw customers in, and if your fans share your page, there’s a likelihood that their friends will also look into what your business does. It’s a way to interact with customers if they have any questions, and if your business has a product you can post pictures and or videos  to help visualize that specific product to the fans and customers. People want to see themselves using or wearing the product before purchasing it. If you can give them a clear picture of what they’re buying, that’s half the battle, especially if you don’t have a brick and mortar store.

Twitter pages have been proven to be successful for businesses. A small clothing store in Massachusetts is drawing in more customers through Twitter than their main website, and as a result, all the marketing and news about their clothes are being posted in tweets only. However, with this form of social media, continuously tweeting and using hashtags that are relevant to what you sell and your customers buy is vital to the success you’ll have on Twitter. Always post pictures if your business has a product, respond to your followers, and make it interactive. In most cases, the twitter accounts who have many followers is a result of them interacting and having conversations, showing that they’re friendly and open.

To effectively market what you sell or do, you must go to the customer first. The internet is the best way to get news and information out to the public, and it must be utilized. There are many businesses still operating as if it’s still the 20th century. To stand out from your competition you must reach out to who you’re trying to sell to and gain consumers. After all these years of it’s existence, social media isn’t being used correctly. Be the first to take advantage of what these websites have to offer, and separate yourselves from the pack. It could be the difference between a somewhat successful business and a complete success.