When was the last time you sat and watched a TV programme with one hundred percent concentration? Admit it, you probably had one eye on the screen and the other on your mobile phone or tablet. So it makes sense to consider channelling some of your marketing budget towards social media rather than being totally reliant on traditional TV and print advertising.
But using social media successfully isn’t all about selling (that’s why it’s never a complete substitute for traditional advertising). Instead, you’ve to think of it as a relationship-building exercise. You can target specific customer groups more effectively and then work to gain their trust in you as a company, and your products. Plus, a real bonus is that you can then go on to use the good comments you get on social media in your advertising to enhance your credibility.
In conventional marketing you’re always told to stress the ‘you’ factor – what your product will do for the customer. But it’s still always going to be a one-way process. Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way conversation. You can talk to your customers rather than haranguing them!
A word of warning, though. If you do decide to use Facebook, Twitter etc. you must have a team in place to answer queries and deal with gripes quickly and effectively or you’ll soon lose that consumer confidence that you’re striving to build.
But the positive do far outweigh the negatives you approach it in a professional manner. You’ll get a better insight into your target audience, better brand recognition and more repeat business. And what that all adds up to is more business and, in the long term, reduced marketing costs. What’s not to like!
Author: Diana Nadin
