Let’s face it, you have a product and you want to sell it. If you are not trying to sell a product then you wouldn’t be reading this site, an all-about-online-marketing site, right?
But since you are here, we know that you are interested in selling.
So, current social media marketing seems to involve setting up an awesome Facebook page or Twitter account, attracting loads of followers and thereby tonnes of people will hear all about your product or service and naturally buy it. Or that’s the thinking, anyway.
But there’s something missing from this equation, who are you selling to?
Who’s your audience?
It might seem like a really obvious question but until you answer this (or we answer this by analysing your market for you) your social media marketing could easily fall into the ineffective basket.
What I’m getting at is that some companies start from the end-point-of-sale focusing on their wonderful service or product. They want to tell the customer about it, how fabulous it is and exactly why they must buy it but they don’t think enough about who the customers really are and the medium they’re using to reach them. That’s where we come in.
When you know who your customer is, you’ll know how to talk to them.
Let’s look at an example. You manage a hotel in Bali and you want people to come and stay at your hotel. Whilst it is a terrific idea to tell people all about the amazing aspects of your hotel and things that make Bali special, it’s the voice you use depending on the medium you are marketing through, as well as who your customer is that will make your campaign effective.
So… let’s have a look at a few of these mediums….
Webpage – this is where you can provide excellent, in-depth information on your hotel, rooms, guest areas, pool, location and so on. Some of it will be written in an informative manner, other parts will have a more fun vibe. It depends on the customer and what they are wanting to know, right?
Facebook pages – Facebook is a funny thing. To market effectively you really have to decide how you can provide effective snippets that people will enjoy and share. I haven’t met a single person who can resist an amazing photo, so right away with a destination page, I would start there. It creates an instant conversation. Secondly, Facebook fans who have liked a page about a hotel in Bali are probably interested in the area, so small details, interesting facts and loads of ‘what’s on’ style posts and links would work well. Lastly, it’s all about sharing. Let people have a conversation on your Facebook page, generate that extra interest by listening to your customers and joining in with the comments or posts they like.
Twitter – I use Twitter as a foghorn, whereas Facebook is a more personalised zone. Twitter is a way to reach the masses instantly and, if your follower (read potential customer) likes it they may ‘Retweet’ your ‘Tweet’ sending it out to potentially thousands more interested people in the Tweetshpere (read potential customers). Some of the business Tweets I’ve sent have reached a phenomenal audience through Retweets and all for free! If your Tweet matters and speaks to the person who receives it then there is no telling where it may end up and who may click on your site to stay in your hotel (as per our example) just because of this random connection.
Blog – a blog can be so many things. It can explain your business, provide a more personalised approach or create interest in something. For a hotel, blogging about local identities, places to visit, experiences people have had would be a good start. If I was a potential customer coming to stay I’d love to read about the things we could do and what other people thought of them. That’s great marketing because it creates interest.
Your Social Media Marketing is about the voice as much as the message. Generate the vibe by listening to your customers and thinking about what they want to hear and how.
