02/07/2012
Tips from the team at Chazbrooks Communications
Social media platforms are booming; the most popular ones boast over 100,000 million active users, and new sites are popping up all over the place enabling users to interact with each other, brands and celebrities. Massive brands like Starbucks have mastered engaging with its customers online, but Social Media can be a real drain on time and resources if you don’t know how to utilise it effectively.
According to recent research, nearly a half of those surveyed in the first wave of Social Media Benchmark 2012 from the Chartered Institute of Marketing have said that a significant barrier to progress when looking to get more value out of social media is finding the time to properly manage the channels. Many people are asking themselves if they really have the skills and resources and if they realistically can afford the time needed get involved.
If you’re in any doubt of how to use Social Media effectively as a consistent and effective marketing tool, it’s definitely worth getting some help - you could be missing out on a lot of opportunities to communicate and listen to your customers and your competitors may have already created their presence on Social Media platforms themselves.
50% of marketers are now managing their company’s social media accounts, and you have to stand out from the crowd. Here’s some thoughts from us on how to do that amongst the brave, and some encouragement for the less brave...
1.Use Social Media to tell a story about you, your products and your company - Integrate social media messaging across the range of communication channels.
2.Talk about fresh innovative things that your competitors aren’t talking about.
3.Remember to keep it relevant and interesting, but by surprising a few people along the way you’re bound to make an impression — just make sure it’s the right one!
4.Target your market effectively, find out which networks they are following and join the party. But be selective. By talking to anyone and everyone, you could be in danger of losing some credibility, so think about who you’re chatting to and why.
5. SOCIAL media — it’s in the name. You don’t meet new people by standing and shouting at them, so don’t do the same on social networks. Chat to people, listen to what they are saying and engage with them on their level. You’re building a community — think quality, not necessarily quantity.
6.Keep in regular contact. The drip drip rule is just as valid with Social Media.
