Get Social
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If your business isn't using social media, you need to be! Before a new customer ever sets foot in your door they've already accumulated at least three pieces of information about your business you can't control. What can you do to make sure at least one of those pieces is something you WANT them to see? Get involved with social media. |
Simply defined, social media is merely using the internet, cell phone, or any digital device to interact with others. On this page you'll learn: |
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If you're "following" your kids or grandkids' activities on Facebook you are involved in social media. If you ever snapped a shot of your dog doing something cute with your cell phone and sent it to a friend, you're using social media. The question is how to convert those leisure activities into meaningful promotion for your business. |
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General Rule: What's great about social media marketing is you can use your interests to market. Why? A general rule of thumb: with every three posts, one should be about your business, one should be of general interest and one should be some valuable tidbit of info that has nothing to do with people buying from you! |
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Why? Too many marketers barraged people with a never-ending stream of social media advertisements that turned potential customers off. The goal is to gain followers who become customers. Here's the thing you must remember: this takes time. |
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| Steve Jobs explains Apple's marketing approach that has nothing to do with sales. 7 minutes. | Be patient and you will reap the rewards! |
| For instance, we have a Facebook page for the downtown association; we had 139 followers after the first year. But, we kept after it, posting and re-posting, posts of differing subjects and after 3 years now we have over 2,100 followers. I'll tell you more why that's important later. | |
Click on the image above and visit our Facebook page. Please "Like" It!
Location
The next question you should ask yourself is where and what are my customers using? Here's some examples:
Your average customer is a 70-something grandma who uses email to keep up with the kids. You: ask for her email address, send her emails following the General Rule. Look for things in at least 1 out of 3 that deals with grandkids.
Your average customer is an outbound salesperson who does everything on their phone. You: set up Twitter and Instagram accounts and share hashtags with your customers. To find out what your customers are using, ask them!
Content is King!
When you post, educate your consumers.
- Tell them where they can find things,
- How to do something or
- Share a discovery you've made,
Make sure your posts are interesting and relevant.
Don't worry too much about incorporating pictures if you're using Twitter or some other smart phone app: 85% of cell phone users have turned off images. Basic info is all you need: Tell them who it is from, and include a subject line.
Building Your Database
Garnering followers, as I mentioned before, is important: the more you have, the more people you reach. That seems logical at first blush, but its even more important than most people realize.
Did you know when you post on Facebook, for instance, it doesn't go to all of your followers! Just a percentage see your post. Obviously, 10% of 2000 is more than 10% of 20. Ever notice the "Boost Post" button in the corner of a post if you already have a page? If you've never used it, you should! |
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When you purchase a "blast" though, more likes or followers get you more coverage. Facebook assumes that if people are liking your page you must have good content which makes Facebook look better and you get more coverage! |
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Mine Your Own Data
Most apps include "analyticals" (little programs that create reports) that tell you when most people are looking at your posts or opening your emails. Pick the highest response times and days to send other posts or emails. |
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| Send out info once a week or once every-other-week. Frequency is crucial to converting a follower to a purchaser. Other aspects that convert are good content and value for the time they invest reading your post. | |
Conclusion
These are just a few tips to help you as you enter digital marketing or hone your skills.
One thing I like to point to people is this: despite the advertising you'll hear about programs that bring you millions of shoppers, most digital marketing has a response rate about equal to a mass mailer: 1-2%. This means for every 100 emails you send out you'll get two customers that buy.
This response rate means its important to always keep building your lists of email addresses and smart phone numbers. If you keep at it, your percentages will go up as you hone in on your buying customers and as they share with customers just like themselves who will show up at your business as a new client. That's the big pay-off!