Are you using social media as part of your business’s overall marketing strategy? If not, you should be. According to SalesForce’s 2016 State of Marketing Report, 75% of retailers and marketers believe that social media is driving a positive return on their investment. In comparison, when SalesForce conducted this same study just one year ago, only 29% of respondents expressed this perspective on social media – that’s a whopping 46% increase in just 12 months.
So, what makes social media such an effective marketing tool for businesses? Among other reasons, it embraces the principle of omnichannel, cross-channel promotion. In the past, retail stores and local businesses often relied on just a few basic methods for promoting their products and services. Retailers, for instance, may have mailed brochures to residents in their respective city. But social media has opened the doors to a while new world of possibilities regarding marketing and promotion. Now, retailers and businesses can use a combination of traditional methods with newer, more effective methods.
Another reason why social media has become such an effective and powerful marketing tool is because of its sheer reach. Statistics show that nearly 3 in 4 adults in the United States use some type of social media networking site. While Facebook remains the world’s leading social media network, boasting more than 1.3 billion monthly users, other networks are gradually easing their way into the market.
Via Flickr Commons
If you’re looking to generate more sales and optimize your ROI, follow the social media marketing tips listed below:
• Don’t focus strictly on Facebook; create pages and profiles on smaller social media networks like Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and Flickr.
• Use consistent brand elements throughout all of your social media accounts.
• Keep the lines of communication open with your audience. If someone leaves a comment on your social media page or profile, respond back.
• When possible, link your social media accounts, websites and other web properties together. If you own a website, for instance, create links pointing to your Facebook, Twitter, and other social pages.
• Determine what brand “voice” you want to use on social media. This should reflect your business’s core values and goals while staying relevant to your audience.
• Publish new content to your social media pages and profiles on a regular basis to attract more followers.
• If you’re going to invest in paid advertising on social media, set up analytics so you’ll know exactly which campaigns are generating a positive return and which ones aren’t.
Keep up the great work! Thank you so much for sharing a great post.
Now, retailers and businesses can use a combination of traditional methods with newer, more effective methods.