Obviously the goal of any marketing campaign in any medium is to generate more revenue for your business. Within that however each marketing avenue has a specific goal that helps achieve this, be it exposure through billboards, brand loyalty through discount cards, lead generation through emails, etc. It is sad to say that most businesses still don't know that the smaller goal within Social Media is to:
- Learn more about your audience so you are able to better direct your products and services to what it is they want
- You can allow your customers to get to know you better, and not just you as a business but the people behind your business as well
The reason Social Media is lauded by marketing experts isn't because a billon plus people are there, it's because Social Media allows them to do the one thing every marketer has been trying to do since the inception of marketing has been trying to do, read their customers minds. People on social sites share their every thought, preference, and desires for the entire world to see. I want you to ask yourself, when was the last time you looked at your fans and followers bios on their profiles? If you're being honest with yourself you're probably going to say never or when I first started, and this is just one of the ways to get more in touch with who your audience is.
Looking at it from the other side today's open source world not only welcomes but demands transparency on the part of business. The more you open up the better the response will be from your audience. If you look at it as a customer you would agree that when you know the people within the business you always feel more comfortable and therefore more likely to buy. Doing things like employee spotlights and having employees post on the business page wall from their personal accounts will go a long way to engaging your audience more fully.
Lastly timing is everything, look at when your audience is most socially active. If your posting at eight in the morning and the vast majority of your audience are people in the bar and restaurant industry that work till 2 am it doesn't matter how great your content is they'll never see it. So in review, give the customers what they want in an honest and open fashion from a friendship standpoint, and at times when they are likely to be online and I promise they will reward you immensely.
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