Social media has established itself as a prominent form of marketing used by companies in countless industries worldwide. There are a variety of factors that can significantly increase a company’s brand equity and visibility, or sometimes compromise a company’s reputation if not used carefully. The way in which a social media strategy is implemented and monitored can go a long way in determining its overall effectiveness. Social media savvy consumers are awaiting any opportunity to voice their opinions, both good and bad, via their Twitter, Facebook, and other social channels. This makes it even more vital for a company to thoroughly research and consider what methods of social media are most improtant to their brand’s needs.
There are a number of safeguards companies can take in order to avoid social media problems that occur frequently in today’s online marketplace. The first involves having an active social media presence and properly understanding the relationship between conversations on social networks and other types of customer interactions. The next safeguard includes utilizing a multi-channel strategy for customer communication, sales and service. While social media is quite effective, interactions taking place at brick and mortar locations, on toll-free lines, and during online customer service chats are also very important in providing a comprehensive view of consumers’ opinions.
For a startup, or a company that lacks a strong social media presence there are a number of low cost options to make the leap into social media marketing. Revamping your existing website or building a new one with an active blog platform which includes articles with relevant industry news, trends, or intriguing applications of your product line is an excellent way to launch a social media marketing campaign. Creating a LinkedIn group, Facebook page, Twitter account, a customers-only discussion forum, or a YouTube channel can provide unique opportunities to present and inform users and fans alike of current company highlights and information. Also, make sure your website utilizes the latest in social media sharing capabilities. Panther Marketing can help assess your current blog platform to make sure it’s up to date with social media sharing and SEO friendly best practices.
The key to a company’s successful use of social media is all about the results and the ability to properly measure them. There are a number of best-practices that can be employed in order to measure social media effectiveness. Mapping out marketing process flow that will best transform prospects into quality sales leads is a good starting point. Another practice involves determining the online marketing initiatives and campaigns that will be implemented to attract and engage prospects.
Selection of the appropriate social media outlets to use is critically important in ensuring the effectiveness of a social media campaign, and all of these practices help increase overall SEO and brand exposure. Continuing an active online presence, targeting the desired client base, and realistically monitoring and fine tuning the social media campaign will ensure its overall success and increased brand awareness and sales.
Contact Panther Marketing today to see how we can help you improve your companies Social Media Marketing.