WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS VS. WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T

Posted on April 27, 2017 in Social Media

Social media is here to stay. The platforms will change and evolve, but the ideology that social provides will not be leaving us anytime soon. The fact that virtually anyone in the world with access to internet can express their opinions internationally is a very powerful ideal for many. However, for brands, social media isn’t going to save your business – but it can help. Here are a few things that social media is vs. what social media isn’t.

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T

A QUICK FIX. Building a brand online isn’t something that is going to happen overnight, or even over a few months. It is a process that takes time to build trust with your target audience.

SOMETHING TO HIDE BEHIND. Social media will not fix a poor product or service. If you’re having internal fulfillment or customer service issues, it is best to address those internally before you begin broadcasting content online. If you don’t, you are really opening yourself to negative feedback.

JUST FOR KIDS. Yes, it’s true, social media is not just for kids. In fact, 79% of 30 to 49-year-olds online use Facebook, and 56% of online users 65 and up use Facebook.

IMMEASURABLE. Depending on what your marketing goals are, there are many ways to measure the effectiveness of your Facebook campaign that reach far outside of only a direct-sales spectrum.

FREE. Social media is NOT free. It takes professional man-hours to effectively pull off a social media campaign that will have lasting business effects. In addition to that, advertising dollars are a must now if you want to reach a larger audience.

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS

A WAY TO ENGAGE WITH CONSUMERS. Social is one of the most effective ways to engage with customers who you could never reach before. It gives you the ability to join in on the conversation, and build a lasting relationship with your consumers.

A TOOL TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES. I’m not talking about the endless LinkedIn messages your receive from recruiters on LinkedIn… social media is a great platform to promote the internal culture of your brand and show off why your business is superior to work for instead of your competitors.

A PLACE TO TELL YOUR STORY. Every brand has a story. Social gives you the ability to serve that story through different forms of content through multiple channels.

A PAY-TO-PLAY GAME. Sweeping changes in algorithms across the social media landscape has forced brands to start paying to reach their entire audience. Luckily, the advertising platforms on social media implements highly-effective targeting capabilities to ensure your marketing dollars are well spent.

MORE THAN DIRECT SALES. Everyone is in business to make money, and direct sales are happening every day through social media. However, there are other key factors to pay attention to when promoting your brand on social. This includes brand exposure, community outreach, and customer service.

There’s no doubt that having the right social strategy can help improve your business in numerous ways, but understanding what social is and what it should be doing is the key. In every area of your business, you have a plan on how to succeed – why should social be any different?

Need help on promoting your business on social media? Comment below, contact us or give us a call at (248) 762-2068.