Most industries are so competitive these days that having a social media presence has almost become a prerequisite just for staying afloat. Even most companies that have an existing company profile are underutilizing the power of social networks. Here’s something to digest: conversions via social media are on average 13% higher than leads from traditional outbound methods, such as cold calling, television commercials and flyer handouts. However, companies won’t see anywhere near that percentage if they just use their channel to send a quick reminder here and there. To make your social network page work for you, provide consistent value to your followers rather than blasting them with endless promotional material.
Give Value to Your Followers
By value, I mean informative content free of promotional hype. Most consumers are bombarded by so much advertising online and offline that they can smell a snake oil salesman from a mile away. Don’t let your social network channel become a canvas for spitting out sales pitch after sales pitch. Value pertains to useful content related to your niche and may include the following:
- A link to your latest blog post or other related content (the post itself should be informative and not promotional)
- A link to a related YouTube video
- A quick, useful fact or word of advice
- A post answering a commonly asked question
If you own a health supplement e-store, for instance, then the following are some examples of posts that you can include:
- Please be sure to check out our latest blog post. It provides some amazing tips on how to maintain healthy eating habits when constantly traveling and dining at greasy spoons.
- Check out this video on how to properly execute bodyweight squats without over extending your knees.
- Remember to stay hydrated this winter. Dehydration can occur just as much in the cold as in the sweltering summer. A hydrated body is a happy body :)
- Many of you have asked what the best ingredients are for a post-workout shake. The ingredients should provide enough protein, carbs and fat for your bodyweight as well as contain enough B-vitamins for replacing lost electrolytes.
Notice that the third example contains a smiley face. While this may come off as unprofessional, using text lingo may actually help forge a stronger relationship with your followers since this is how most social media users correspond with family and friends. Of course, this may not always be appropriate depending on your industry; always use your best judgment.
Incorporating a Promotional Post
Of course, the real motivation for having a company social media profile in the first place is to raise awareness of your brand. Feel free to promote your products or service especially whenever there is noteworthy news, such as a product launch or discount. Just don’t go on a promotional rant about how good product X is or why product Y is the best thing since sliced bread. Keep the emphasis on informative content with promotional posts more as an afterthought.
Outsourcing Your Social Media Campaign
While larger corporations often have their own internal team that handles the PR and social media content, smaller enterprises may elect to outsource the job to a third party agency. Most agencies that provide SEO services also provide social media outreach on their clients’ behalf. Consider the following marketing agencies that provide online and social media optimization services:
Unique Influence – This agency is run by Ryan Pitylak and has been in operation for over 30 years – long before digital marketing became commonplace. With services that encompass social media, search, mobile and affiliate marketing, Unique Influence places a strong emphasis on increasing ROI by identifying who its client’s audience is and crafting carefully honed messages aimed directly at the micro-targeted demographic. To really close the conversion gap, Unique Influence partners with Nanigans, an analytics agency that uses a patented Predictive Lifetime Value measurement to help clients make educated marketing decisions that convert.
CyberSet – Aside from full site optimization through best SEO practices, CyberSet also offers local marketing, press release writing, video development, graphic design, IT solutions and professional consultation. The group was founded in 2007 by seasoned tech expert and media personality Siamak Kalhor. The company’s team of dedicated staff also offers a full range of web design services, which includes profile page creation for prominent social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and even eBay. It can also design ecommerce websites from scratch or redesign existing ones.
Webimax – Webimax started in 2008 and has been ranked in the top 10 by TopTenReviews for three consecutive years in 2011, 2012 and 2013. It was also ranked number 37 in Inc. Magazine’s list of 500 fastest growing companies in the United States in 2012. The agency employs a team of over 150 personnel operating in four countries. The company also prides itself in employing only ethical, white hat practices and has a 99% client retention rate. Each of its services comes with a weekly detailed report, so clients are always up to date on the analytics and the progress that has been made.
Social networks provide a whole new communication channel for engaging with your customers. Their magic, however, can only go into full swing if you consistently provide value rather than being in hard sale mode all the time.
