Social Media Marketing, Reality and Lies

Social Media Marketing appears to be the latest buzz word for anyone looking to increase their online presence and sales, however is Social Media Marketing (SMM) all it is cracked up to be?

S.M.M companies are now emerging all over the place these days and they are telling anybody that will listen about how incredibly crucial social media like Facebook twitter and YouTube are to your company however, for the typical small to medium sized service, does marketing to socials media actually measure up to all the buzz? Is spending a small fortune on employing a SMM business actually worth it? And has anyone actually done their research on this prior to they hired somebody to set up there Facebook service page? Some SMM companies are establishing things like Facebook service pages (which are complimentary) for $600 to $1,000 or more and telling their customers that they don't require a website due to the fact that Facebook is the biggest social network on the planet and everyone has a Facebook account. Now while it may be true that Facebook is the largest social media in the world and yes, Facebook's members are prospective customers, the genuine concern is are they in fact buying? Social media marketing business are all too happy to explain the positives of social media like the number of people utilize Facebook or how many tweets were sent in 2015 and how many people see YouTube videos etc. however are you getting the full photo? I when sat next to a SMM "professional" at an organisation seminar who was spruiking to anybody who came within earshot about the fantastic advantages of setting up a Facebook company page for small business (with him of course) and selling on Facebook. So, interested by the abovementioned "specialists" guidance I looked him up on Facebook just to find he had only 11 Facebook pals (not an excellent start). Being the research study nut that I am, I chose to take a good look into SMM in regard to selling to see if it really worked, who did it work for and if it did why did Social Media Marketing work for them? And should company rely so greatly on socials media for sales?

As a web developer I was continuously (and now progressively) confronted with numerous social networking obstacles when prospective clients would state that having a website sounds excellent but they had a Facebook company page and had been told by numerous sources (the ever present yet anonymous "they") that social networks were the thing to do, however after discussing their needs it became rather clear that those prospective clients didn't in fact know why they needed social networks or SMM to create online sales, They just wanted it. Well it's basic really because social media is Social Media, and social Networks are Social Networks they are not company media and business networks (that would be more like LinkedIn). In a current study done by the IBM Institute for Company Value around 55% of all social media users specified that they do not engage with brands over social media at all and just around 23% actually actively use social media to connect with brand names.

How do you use social media marketing? And is it even worth doing?

Well first of all I would state that having actually a well optimized website is still going to bring you far more business that social media in many cases particularly if you are a little to medium sized local company due to the fact that far more individuals are going to type in "hair stylist Port Macquarie" into a search engine like Google, Yahoo and Bing than they ever will on any Social Media Website and if you do not have a site you're missing out on out on all of that potential business. Despite all the (not so good) stats I still believe it is still an excellent concept for service to utilize social media simply not in the very same method that a lot of SMM professionals are today, Why? Is it in a Social Media Marketing company's best interest to talk social networks up?

I think the significant distinction between social media networks and online search engine is intent. Individuals who use Google are intentionally looking for something so if they do a look for hairdressers that's what they are looking for at that particular time. With something like Facebook the primary intent is typically to connect with family and friends. In October 2008, Mark Zuckerberg himself stated "I don't believe socials media can be generated income from in the same way that search (Online search engine) did ... In 3 years from now we need to find out exactly what the optimal design is. But that is not our primary focus today". One of the most significant problems service confront with social media networks and SMM is perception. According to the IBM Institute for Business Value research study there were "significant spaces in between exactly what companies believe consumers appreciate and exactly what consumers say they want from their social media interactions with business." In today's society people are not simply going to hand you over there recommendations, Facebook likes, comments or details without getting something back for it, so the old adage "what's in it for me?" enters into play. The main reason most people provide for communicating with brands or company on social media is to receive discounts, yet the brand names and company themselves believe the primary reason people connect with them on social media is to find out about new products. For brand names and service getting discount rates only ranks 12th on their list of reasons why people interact with them. Most organisations think social media will increase advocacy, but just 38 % of Elite Digital Marketing agency consumers concur.

There were some good efforts revealed in the IBM study of business that had gotten some sort of a manage on how to utilize social media to their benefit, keeping in mind that when asked what they do when they connect with services or brands through social media, customers list "getting discount rates or discount coupons" and "purchasing items and services" as the top two activities, respectively an USA ice cream company called Cold Stone Creamery offered discount rates on their products on their Facebook page. With both Cold Stone Creamery and Twelpforce the advantage is plainly in the favour of the terrific trick & the possible consumer to social media marketing is to sell without attempting to sell (or looking like your selling) regrettably most social media marketing is focused the wrong way.

Constructing a tangible purchaser to consumer relationship by means of social media is difficult and probably the most benefit to organisation' using social media to boost their sites Google rankings. Business' require to understand that you cannot just setup a Facebook service page and hope for the finest. SMM needs effort and potential consumers need to see worth in what you need to offer by means of your social media efforts give them something worth their social interaction and time then you may improve results.

Now just as a footnote Facebook shares have dropped to under $20 per share, that's half their original cost ... and the lawsuits are flying


As a web designer I was constantly (and now progressively) challenged with a number of social networking obstacles when prospective customers would say that having a site sounds excellent but they had a Facebook business page and had actually been told by different sources (the ever present yet anonymous "they") that social networks were the thing to do, however after discussing their requirements it ended up being quite clear that those possible clients didn't really understand why they needed social networks or SMM to create online sales, They just desired it. Well it's simple truly because social media is Social Media, and social Networks are Social Networks they are not service media and business networks (that would be more like LinkedIn). In a current research study done by the IBM Institute for Company Worth around 55% of all social media users stated that they do not engage with brand names over social media at all and just around 23% actually actively use social media to communicate with brand names. Well first of all I would say that having actually a well enhanced site is still going to bring you far more business that social media in many cases specifically if you are a small to medium sized regional organisation because far more people are going to type in "hair stylist Port Macquarie" into a search engine like Google, Yahoo and Bing than they ever will on any Social Media Site and if you do not have a website you're missing out on out on all of that possible company. The main factor most people offer for interacting with brand names or organisation on social media is to receive discounts, yet the brand names and organisation themselves think the primary factor people communicate with them on social media is to find out about brand-new products.

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