Now that so many small businesses have tapped into the benefits of social media marketing, it's time to consider gathering data and analyzing this data in order to improve. In most cases, small businesses are using the data that they gather from online tools such as SocialBro or Google Analytics. In the case of Facebook, the network already has built in data regarding the social media page including who visits, what posts are getting the most clicks, the changes in numbers over time, and many more.
This data is incredibly important and will certainly help improve any social media strategy. However, there are many different ways that a company gathers data, and it isn't always online. Companies have been gathering numbers offline for years, so although online marketing might be new to some small businesses, it isn't time to forget your offline efforts. Believe it or not, your offline data can help you improve your online social media efforts.
Different Offline Data To Help Your Online Efforts
There are many different ways a company can gather offline information and analyze this information including testimonials, community events and their successes, and TV, radio, and newspaper spots. Below are a few ways gathering this data can help you online:
- Successful subject matter. This is the biggest way you can use your offline numbers to help your online numbers. For example, if you are getting a lot of phone calls because of a radio ad you put out, ask yourself what was in that radio ad that made people want to call. Did you use a certain scenario? Something humorous? Take whatever it was and try to post something similar on your social media walls (and hopefully it will have the same effect).
- Customer insight through testimonials. When you gather testimonials after someone has visited your company, take this information and ask your online audience if they feel the same way. Chances are many of your customers will have a similar experience with your company, and people respond well to posts that describe how they feel. This should help foster more discussion on your social walls.
- Historical data and trends. This point covers a little bit of both of the points discussed above. Offline data is all about trends just as online data. If you find a trend in any specific keyword, wording, or event, bring this into your social media strategy.
Using the data that you collect from your online efforts is most certainly the most applicable to your strategy, but don't count out your offline numbers. Small businesses seem to slowly be putting more weight in online than offline, and occasionally this could be a big mistake!
Do you use your offline data to help your online efforts? What have you found to be the most helpful? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Amanda DiSilvestro gives small business and entrepreneurs SEO advice ranging from keyword density to recovering from algorithm updates. She writes for HigherVisibility, a nationally recognized SEO firm that offers national and local SEO service to a wide range of companies across the country.