You've been to garage sales and flea markets, where items are scattered haphazardly on tables and shelves. As a retail business owner, you would never use this approach to show off your own merchandise. Instead, you organize products into intuitive categories, utilize various display techniques to showcase products you are promoting, and incorporate targeted marketing strategies to reach the consumers you want to patronize your store.
So why does your entire social media approach consist of just a Facebook page and a Twitter account?
You need to put as much thought into your social media strategy as you do your product marketing efforts if you want to achieve success in this area. Here are ten keys to any effective social media campaign:
1.) Strategy: Think about what you are specifically trying to accomplish with your social media offerings. Ask yourself if you would actually take the time to engage with your brand or participate in a specific campaign.
2.) Targeted platforms: Choosing social media sites randomly doesn't work. Pick out the ones that your customers are likely to use, such as Pinterest for artistic women or Instagram for millennials.
3.) Direct engagement: Make sure your social media content encourages participation. Ask questions, take surveys, hold photo caption contests, or ask for feedback on what new products to offer.
4.) Cross-promotion: Don't limit your social media marketing to the Internet. Place signage in your store encouraging shoppers to explore your presence on all of your social media channels. Do the same for radio, TV, and newspaper ads.
5.) Creativity: Simply displaying products on social media isn't sufficient. Arrange product images around a theme on Pinterest, use Tumblr to "tell a story" using pictures, or take humorous photos of people and your merchandise to display on Facebook.
If you can work in a funny kitty photo like this, such creativity will also help your content's shareability.
6.) Shareability: Craft your content so that it's more likely to be shared by users. If your post, image, or video can induce laughter, gasps of astonishment, or statements like, "Awwww, how cuuute!" its shareability factor will increase.
7.) Suggestion encouragement: Word-of-mouth referrals are always the best kind. So make it easy for social media followers to share their likes, favorites, and wish lists with their friends.
8.) Diversity: You can use social media for more than promoting merchandise. Use YouTube or a blog to provide helpful hints about your products or area of expertise. Present a "behind-the-scenes" look at your business. Or highlight your philanthropic or volunteer efforts.
9.) Listening: Pay attention not only to the number of responses on social media, but also to the substance of what is being said. Then address issues, answer questions, or offer advice as needed.
10.) Metrics-oriented: It's important to know what is working and what isn't, and social media metrics can help you do that. Examine the data, find trends, and adjust your marketing efforts accordingly.
Sendible's social media management solution is an excellent component of any social media strategy. Our tool helps you schedule content, monitor all of your social media sites, and analyze how each channel is faring - try it for free today.
