In our last blog we spoke about the โWhatโ of Social Media Marketing, and although knowing what your audience wants is important, I find the โWhereโ is even more valuable. The โWhereโ determines if those amazing ideas of yours will actually see their full potential. I know you work hard, and I โ and especially you โ donโt want to see your ideas wasted. Stick with me for the next few minutes and Iโll explain everything.
Last week we spoke about a hypothetical paper company, and how they did not offer the โWhatโ well. We saw how they lost a customer and possibly a free advocator. Now that you know what to offer, we need to look at where to offer it. There is a trap that most companies fall victim to. I like to call it the F.T.G. conundrum. What this means is there are a handful of popular social media sites, and businesses get the idea to only interact within the top 3. Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ (F.T.G.) are easily the most populated social media sites, and having your business on them is good โ not great.
Lets jump back to this imaginary paper company. They are on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ and they feel as if they have tapped into all of social mediaโs potential. Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Remember in the last article we said their paper is 90% recycled? A great way to illustrate the impact of recycled paper is via picture. They should show their โgreenโ customers beautiful forests they are saving by purchasing this paper. Now, the hard part, finding a social media platform specifically designed for pictures โฆ but what site is only for pictures? I hope you know I am being facetious of course. We would jump to Instagram and do a little investigative work. But thatโs the โWhoโ of social media marketing, and we havenโt got there yet. Letโs pretend all R&D is completed and Instagram is a pivotal platform for them. Great! We now discovered where the customer base is and are now closer to them. When you can interact with your customer base on a less intimidating level, they draw near to you. Your customers view you less as of a faceless, money hungry business and more like a friend. Iโve said before, โtreat me as a customer you lose; treat me as a friend you winโ.
As we begin to conclude I hope you at least remember this. Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts are great and every company should have one, but dive a little deeper into the social media pool. If your customers are on tumbler, go to tumbler as well. If your clients are on Pinterest, go there! Donโt waste your time with social media accounts you donโt need, but donโt miss golden opportunities.
Marketing has changed, can you adapt?