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Social Media is big. We toss these words around here and there without thinking, but we rarely understand what “BIG” really means.
I mean, sure, there are a lot of Facebook users but “a lot” doesn’t reflect the magnitude as well as the fact that 22% of the world’s population uses it. The platform covers nearly a quarter of all people on the planet!
79% of American internet users spend their valuable time on Facebook regularly and surely it has affected the business environment. Just think about the following:
- 59% of Americans who own a social media account firmly believe that social media enhances customer service and gets answers to consumer-related questions faster.
- 93% of Pinterest users choose the platform to make educated, feedback-based purchases.
- Facebook ads make 87% of total ad revenues, according to Forbes.
Surely, the best solution for you as a business owner would be to jump on the success train and drive revenue to your business through social media. Easier said than done.
The market is highly competitive and you will need to get ready for shedding sweat and tears in order to obtain a slice of the pie. But you know what they say – a man needs to do what a man needs to do in order to keep his booking schedule filled with paying customers.
That noted I will make an attempt to make your battle a little bit easier via sharing some of the coolest tricks savvy SMM experts hide up their sleeves.
1 – Product photos are all about engagement
Professional photo studios nowadays perform miracles. They can make drying paint look like a masterpiece by Michelangelo. Your super awesome product or service will look even better but what is the point of sharing a masterpiece with the world if no one sees or interacts with it?
I’d suggest forgetting about the appeal and general aesthetics in favor of user-generated content. Run a simple contest in which your audience should share a photo interacting with your business in a fun way and let the shot with most shares or likes win.
Such a method is sure to attract the attention of your loyal fans and widen it through covering their personal contacts.
2 – Value-first content
As I’ve already said great looking photos have their place in any social media campaign but they have no right to dominate your feed as they present little to no value other than making you look good.
Sharing something like a discount offer or a coupon online, on the other hand, can save real money for your followers and money is something they can touch, smell and cherish. So why not give away the discounts you already have online and give people a reason to come back to your page?
3 – Quick response times
A quick reaction is worth more than gold in the world of social media marketing. If an event happens and gets enough traction to go viral – be among the first to hop on the hype train.
The main thing to remember here is not just to slap your brand’s logo on the event but to have a distinct point of view. The kind you will stand by no matter what. You may not even agree with the majority on the subject but, to tell you the truth – that’s even better. The controversy raises interest in you and your business and, according to social studies, standing behind a point of view that goes against the general flow gets the most loyal followers. We all are rebels at heart anyway, right?
4 – Chatbots
AI is no longer a trend or a buzzword. It is the reality. Here and now. Why not play along nicely with our mechanical future rulers before they irradiate mankind? If nothing else, a chatbot will make you enough money to stock up on ammo.
We at SimplyBook.Me for once have already implemented a Facebook chatbot and allow for our users to enable a booking bot for their business. And we are not the only ones! According to Business Insider, 80% of the businesses will want chatbots by 2020. And for a good reason: a machine can give you the highest impact with the lowest monetary investment possible. It doesn’t eat or sleep, it doesn’t need a salary but is only made to serve your business purposes through quickly answering the questions your clients might have 24/7.
5 – Live Streams
Video content is important – you don’t need a marketer to tell you that. But it was also quite expensive until recently. Today Facebook allows for amazing live stream functionality where you can just plug in a camera and interact directly with your audience. Be educative, share a few tricks and hacks and you will be watched for sure.
A livestream will accomplish a lot for you:
- Consumers generally purchase from the brands they trust. Letting them see your face and interact with you is guaranteed to establish a bridge in the right direction.
- You can show and tell more about the impact your brand will have on other people’s lives through videos than through text or visuals.
- You get their full attention: a person watching a video shares a completely different level of engagement that a person casually browsing through a Facebook feed.
Your turn now – what are some of the best tips you can share about nailing social media marketing?