I know, I know, there is no shortage of social media experts, gurus and bhagwans and many marketers themselves now believe they know all there is to know about social media marketing. Yeah and I’m Donald Duck. Translation: Don’t believe anyone who says they know everything about social media. Ever.
Why? For the simple reason it’s still growing and may never stop so how can you know all there is to know about something that has not stopped evolving yet?
The explosion that is mobile marketing alone and the way consumers are using their mobile devices for any and all social media related activities alone is cause to sit up and take notice when someone tells you they know everything about social media.
To those who claim to know everything and to all others among you, here are 4 things marketers may not know about social media marketing:
1. Use brain science to ‘make’ people trust your brand
Don’t just rely on knowing or anticipating what the customer wants. Srini Pillay, M.D. and CEO of NueroBusiness Group did a study that shows the brain has a ‘trust hormone’ oxytocin; which does in fact enhance trust, possibly because it enhances the distinction between self and others and increases the positive evaluation of others. Thus, a trust hormone actually changes how the brain perceives people and situations.
The greater the trust you can build between your customer and your brand, the greater the chance of marketing success (which I define by amount of deals closed or leads generated).
What are some of these trust building activities? Clear communication, being on time, delivering on promises, and fulfilling contractual obligations are good ways to create a climate of trust when things are unfamiliar.
2. Do your homework
Rather than cold calls, use social media to develop the relationship to a warm point before an initial call. Target someone through LinkedIn that fits your buyer profile through an advanced search. With Google Analytics, there are certain metrics that can measure how long visitors from LinkedIn stay on your web page. More time spent on the web page means that you have engaging and meaningful content. Using this information, you can target your customers easier through social media.
Once you have identified them, do research on them through reading their profiles using a CRM such as Nimble to aggregate all of their public information. Then find their email address or send them a direct message on Twitter to start a conversation.
This works best for people who have retweeted or favorited something you have said on Twitter or LinkedIn.
3. Use your resources
The number of social media followers you have has little to do with how many people will see any social media posts you make. Since most adults don’t live on social media 24/7, only those who are checking the network at that moment (or whom you tag by name) will see the post. Tools like HootSuite and Hiplogiq’s SociaCentiv allow you to set up repeated or rephrased posts later.
According to Social Media Examiner it’s important to have three or more posts in between repeats so your profile stays interesting.
4. Offline presence
Many offline tactics still have better conversion rates than online techniques. But, a recent study by Search Engine Land found that 85% of consumers have used the Internet to find a local business. Integrating TV, radio and print into your digital marketing efforts helps differentiate your brand and target a new and profitable audience. Scott Langdon of Highervisibility.com said, “we’re living in a very digital world, but people still like to have something tangible to hold or feel when making a purchasing decicision.”
Social media marketing takes consistent effort and attention to detail. Businesses that use social media outlets to build relationships of trust, combined with an offline presence, and diligent consumer data gathering will drive awareness and profitability for the long term.
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