It’s still January, but the year is already slipping away. Those goals you made to elevate your marketing in 2017 can’t be met if you don’t start putting plans into action. Your social marketing is just one factor to consider. We make it a little easier for you with these trends you could put into play right away.
Facebook Live
Interactive video will be huge this year, and that means you should probably take a look at how it might impact your marketing efforts. With 43% of marketers planning to use Facebook Live and other interactive video platforms, new techniques and uses will surely follow.
How does Facebook Live differ from other marketing video efforts you’ve put forth in the past? First, there is no time to edit. What you put forth into the world is unvarnished and absolutely immediate. Those YouTube and Instagram videos that went through voiceover work, editing, and polishing, they still have a place in your marketing arsenal. But live video does something these edited videos can’t: provide authenticity.
Live video shows your business in all its glory, with the foibles and the flaws. Your customers like that, believe it or not. They like knowing that the image they’ve built in their heads, the connection they’ve made with your brand, matches reality. What better way to give them reality than live video?
So, how can you use it? One-time events are huge with live videos. Make buyers feel like they’re right there with you during product launches, conventions, demonstrations, or celebrity endorsements. You can also use live video for Q&A sessions, tutorials, and product comparisons. Interviews with real customers can also go a long way with your buyers.
Messaging Apps
Email addresses and phone numbers used to be enough for buyers to contact your business. Now, however, you should be available through several mediums. One of the most popular choices is Facebook Messenger, which is automatically available to any businesses that build a page.
Buyers like the ability to reach out from wherever they are. If they’re cruising social media and have a question, concern, or comment, they want to send that message without disrupting their activities. Without the ability to send messages through various platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and, well, pretty much any other social media available, these buyers may not put forth the effort of connecting with you.
Sales Buttons
Ecommerce integration is now available through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. That means buyers who are scrolling through their social media feeds and see an amazing new product from your company won’t have to leave the page to search for you online.
If you sell products or services, make an effort to connect your ecommerce sales to your social media accounts. Removing friction in the buying process is the best way to make sure your customers get from “want” to “own” in the shortest amount of time possible.
Social Advertising
Social media platforms have made marketing to select groups easier than ever. Sure, Google can bring you some good results, as long as people are searching specifically for the services and products that you offer. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, your target audience can see your ads simply because they’re your target audience.
Facebook took home more than $7 billion for advertising in 2016, and that number is certain to rise. They continue to tweak the process so that ads are the right amount of disruptive for brands and the right amount of obscure for buyers. That means the people you pay to put your ads in front of won’t be as annoyed by your message, but they’ll certainly see it.
The targeting possibilities are endless with social media, too. You can drill down to the exact people who would be most interested in what you have to offer, or you can cast a wider net to see how many new buyers you could bring in. Specify ages, geographic locations, likes and dislikes, current brands the target is following, marital status, and so much more to make sure you’re not wasting a single marketing dollar.
If you’re already using some of these tactics, you know how powerful social marketing can be. If you’re not, maybe it’s time to set your brand on fire in 2017. Give us a call and let us help you get started.
