Topic > Using Social Media for Marketing

IndexFacebookBlogSocial Media Marketing ToolsImplications for Traditional AdvertisingReducing UseLossesAdvanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small BusinessMultimedia UtilizationIntegrating Offline and Online AdvertisingMessage TailoringLocal Social Networks, Beyond YelpConclusionFacebookFacebook Profiles Have More Twitter details. They allow videos, photos, and longer descriptions of a product. The videos show how a product can be used and when to use it. These include testimonials so other followers can comment on product pages for others. Facebook sends event reminders by linking to the product's Twitter page. Facebook promotes a product in real time and attracts customers. Social Media Marketing continues to advertise to increase sequential social ad spend by 25% as marketers see more value in social media marketing. Stories that gain new fans and strategies to extend reach with sponsored ads with Facebook continue to account for increased spend on the site. The study attributes 84% ​​of “engagement” or clicks to Likes that link to Facebook advertising. Today, the number of brands' fans increases by an average of 9% per month and their fan base increases by twice per year. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Blog Blogs allow a product or company to provide longer descriptions of products or services. The longer description may include reasoning and uses. May include testimonials and may link to and from Facebook, Twitter and many social networking and blog pages. Blogs can be updated frequently and are promotional techniques to retain customers. Other promotional uses are to acquire followers and subscribers and direct them to social media pages. Social Media Marketing Tools In addition to search tools, there are many companies that provide specialized platforms/tools for social media marketing, such as tools for:Social Media MonitoringSocial AggregationSocial Book Marking and TaggingSocial Analytics and ReportingAutomationSocial MediaBlog MarketingValidationImplications on Traditional AdvertisingReduction to minimum usageTraditional advertising techniques include print and television advertising. The Internet had already surpassed television as the largest advertising market. Websites often include banner or pop-up ads. Social networking sites don't always contain ads. In exchange, the products have full pages and are able to interact with users. Television commercials often end with a spokesperson asking viewers to visit the product's website for more information. Print ads are also starting to include barcodes. These barcodes can be scanned by mobile phones and computers, directing users to the product website. Advertising is starting to shift viewers from traditional channels to electronic ones. Leaks on the Internet and social networks are one of the problems facing traditional advertising. Video and print ads are often released to the world via the Internet before their scheduled presentation. Social networking sites allow these leaks to go viral and be seen by many users more quickly. The time difference is also a problem that traditional advertisers face. When social events occur and are televised, there is often a delay between the airing on the East and West Coasts of the United States. Social sitesnetworks have become a center of comments and interactions regarding the event. This allows people watching the event on the West Coast (delayed) to know the result before it is broadcast. The 2011 Grammy Awards highlighted this problem. Viewers on the West Coast learned who won different awards based on comments made on social networking sites by people watching live on the East Coast. Since viewers already knew who had won, many turned away and ratings were lower. All the advertising and promotion put into the event was lost because viewers didn't have a reason to watch. Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses Establishing an advanced social strategy is a technique that goes beyond your regular social media presence. Introduces or reinforces a marketing message by pushing a user to another profile or business site. Before moving forward with an advanced strategy, it is important that your company understands social marketing, has experience engaging consumers, and has a basic understanding of online marketing. Multimedia Use The term “A picture is worth a thousand words” has never been more true. Consumers now use the Web to search for product images and videos; they want more information and they want to see what they are thinking of buying. The good news is that it's easy for a business to create and publish videos and images. In addition to taking product photos, you can also take photos at office events to highlight company culture. This not only helps convince others to work with you or buy from you (consumers see that you are down to earth and one of their own instead of a boring company), but it also helps your HR department recruit new employees. Who wouldn't want to work for a company that celebrates birthdays and has fun? Videos are useful for explaining complex procedures or concepts. Showing step-by-step directions can have a greater impact than even the best-written article. Businesses don't even have to invest large sums of money to create good videos. I highly recommend the relatively inexpensive Flip camera, which makes great videos and is easy to use even for a non-technical marketer. Multimedia content can interrupt the anonymous business-to-consumer sales flow and make your company appear friendlier. Use videos and images to demonstrate that your business is fun, that you care about your employees, and most importantly, that you care about your customers. Integrate Offline and Online Advertising Many small businesses do some sort of offline advertising, whether it's radio, print, or cable. Social marketing allows a company to extend its sales proposition offline. Including your Facebook page or blog URL in offline ads serves as social proof, inviting potential consumers to see your community and increasing trust in your business. Integrating online and offline advertising can not only help the conversion process, but it can also help build your community. Introducing potential consumers to your social profiles means they may join your community now and purchase later. Adapting Messages As companies start to get more sophisticated with social media, they are starting to leverage more online platforms. However, most deliver the same message across multiple platforms instead of tailoring communications for each individual site. Each social platform has its own ecosystem. What might be acceptable on Tumblr might be considered spam on Facebook. A specific writing style may spread.