The online world is constantly changing and businesses need to keep up with it if they hope to make the most of their marketing efforts. Advertising methods that worked only a few years ago are starting to lose their hold in favor of new, more social methods. Use these tips to help you make the most of your social marketing in 2016.
Use Social Media Influencers
A recent technique of using social media influencers to market products has proved to be very valuable. For example, sending a free product to a YouTuber to feature on their show allows the brand name to be spread among thousands, even millions, of viewers worldwide. Those who have hired social media influencers to feature their product have seen huge returns on average.
This idea is similar to using actors to sell products in commercials; however, people view YouTubers as closer to regular people than as celebrities. A product endorsement by them feels more real.
Offer Special Deals to Followers
There are few things that people like more than a good deal. A great way to get more followers and to get people more interested in your brand is to offer special deals to followers only. Your current followers will spread the word to their friends to come get the deal and the followers will add on. Offering deals to followers is also a show of loyalty, you are giving back to those who show loyalty to you by following you. A two way street.
Go Social With Your Customer Relationship Management
With technology being key in today’s world there is a heavy emphasis on customer relationship management software that allows you to track all of your customer’s information from phone number to birthday to email addresses. In this high tech era though social media plays as important a role in customer relations as an email address or phone number. Numerous software solutions allow you to track customer’s social media information through the Social CRM. By connecting to customer’s social media accounts you can pull information that is needed to customize each persons experience. Emails, text messages, and website visits can be tailored to a person’s likes.
Put Marketing Automation to Full Use
Many people are using marketing automation software to send out newletters and that is where it ends. Marketing automation can do far more, you can utilize it to fine tune emails to customers. Try setting up marketing automation to send an email to customers if they leave the website with items still in their cart. This sends them a reminder that they haven’t purchased them yet but also serves as a place holder for them. You can also use it to send out target specials such as a birthday discount. When customers receive specialized emails it makes them feel important and they would rather spend their money somewhere they feel important.
Use Your Team Members to Promote Your Products
Some companies have been using employee advocacy programs for years, IBM and Best Buy are just a couple of them. But most haven’t caught on to this trend. Team members for your business are the best people to promote your products because they are the people responsible for selling them. When you have an employee promote your products it not only is cheaper but gets them more invested in the sales. They will know the product better on the sales floor and will be able to give genuine opinions to customers.
Live Stream in 2016
Many people have already embraced live streaming. It is a great way to give customers insight on what goes on behind the curtain of your business. People love to know what goes on behind the scenes. It also allows them to put faces to a business. Knowing the people who develop or build products allows them to create a personal connection. Live streaming is incredibly easy in todays modern world simply by using a smart phone.
Utilize Facebook’s Call Button
Funneling customers through Facebook advertisements to landing pages only to try and get them to contact you can often end up in disinterest. Try utilizing Facebook’s call feature. The call feature presents a button for Facebook Mobile users to click to be directed to your phone number in their dialer. This bypasses the landing page and gives customer’s easier access to your company. Simpler can be better for your customers.
Authors Bio: Krishna is a passionate blogger who writes primarily on SEO, Social Media, CRM, Marketing Automation and covers the entire gamut of Marketing. When he is not writing he is found reading articles and blogs written by others.