Social media (or marketing) optimisation is the latest, most effective methodology when it comes to internet marketing. The ability to connect directly with customers and potential clients has never before been as easy or accessible.
Before you begin marketing with social media, consider that promotional broadcasting is far less likely to be effective than making an actual connection on a personal level. Let’s consider how best to use social media optimisation marketing tools.
Broadcasting Your Social Media Message
Much like your favourite television show, marketing messages that are broadcast via social media go out to a wide range of consumers. They do not target a specific demographic; rather it is the hope that a percentage of all people reading the message will be interested. The risk? That your message will be seen as spam and someone will un-follow you on Twitter or un-friend you on Facebook.
Further than that, your company could develop a bad online reputation as one that broadcasts a never-ending commercial advertisement.
Some examples of broadcast messages:
• Posting a general promo blurb with a link to your website.
• Advertising your company’s products or services.
• Introducing a new product.
• Offering a discount or coupon code.
• Showcasing a press release or article released in the media.
The occasional broadcast message is not a bad thing. The trick is to use this form of marketing in moderation. Keep your ratio from general broadcast marketing versus messages that work to connect with others to a minimum.
Connecting With Social Media Users
Conversely, establishing a connection happens when you take the time to personally interact with your followers. The more you communicate with them, the better you will get to know them. Read your followers’ or friends’ posts and leave a comment on one or more. Get a conversation started by asking questions. Use the hashtag with Twitter posts to mark topical subjects that will get the conversational ball rolling.
Why do you want to take the time and trouble to establish a personal connection? Consider your own buying habits. Do you prefer doing business with an impersonal big-box retailer or someone at a local shop who knows you by name and remembers your preferences? When a consumer has the choice to buy a product or service from a company that treats them like a friend, that is most likely where they will make all their purchases.
Ways to establish a connection:
• Add a comment to someone else’s post.
• Ask a question of one follower/friend or the entire group.
• Respond personally to every comment or reply on your profile.
• Involve your followers/friends in a “getting to know you” exercise, such as a list of favourite music, books, or places lived.
• Start a contest for fans to name a new product or submit an essay about why they like the company or its services; encourage communication amongst participants.
• Sponsor a weekly chat or question and answer session.
• Re-tweet or re-post status lines of others’ helpful tweets to your followers.
Social media provides a truly effective internet marketing platform, the possibilities for its use are nearly endless. But be sure to balance your efforts with both broadcast messages and personal connections for optimum response.
About Sean Rasmussen
Your points on how I can improve my interaction with my friends and followers, make sense Sean. When you talk of having a ratio of commercial broadcasts to personal, what do you recommend.
Thanks,
Cade
There’s no real figure I can recommend Cade, but I don’t think you could go too far wrong working on something like a 75/25% mix.
Hi Sean,
Thanks for the great tips. I think how well you can make personal connections on the social media sites largely affects how successful you will be in your business.
You’re completely right, Sean. People do business with people. When so many of us are selling identical or similar products; the only difference is us. So, it definitely makes sense to make building relationships with our target audience a priority.
Communication – as always – is key. Going from my personal buying habits I accept a certain level of advertising, as long as it seems relevant to me/the topic. I might just be looking for something like that at that moment in time. But I don’t want to be flooded with only self promotion.
Your suggestions on how to establish communication are great, and done on a regular basis they will have a major impact on my success. Thanks.
Hi Sean,
Making a personal connection goes without saying, does not matter to me if it is face to face or on-line, building rapport and relationships has a huge impact on any business.
Belinda
It’s a shame so many people forget about rapport and communication, particularly online Belinda. It’s great to hear you understand it’s importance, particularly for successful business.
Hi Sean
Connecting with people is what I like to do and communicating with them in business is very important. People are your business so they must be treated with the utmost kindness and respect. Building a relationship with each and every customer takes time but is well worth the effort.
Advertising is important too but for me, opening the communication lines to prospective customers through social media networks using the human element is the way to go.