WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?
Being social means connecting with others within a group or community. Social media platforms are, for all practical purposes, online communities that are centered around something being shared. Some have been developed to serve a deliberate purpose, others have evolved from the behaviors of their users and the availability of technologies. In the simplest terms, social media is a place where people can connect online.
WHAT DOES SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING INVOLVE?
There are a variety of activities that can be called social media marketing. Blogging, posting, advertising, building connections, and managing email newsletters are some common examples of social media marketing. The activities that a business chooses to pursue should be determined by some conceptual factors. Your type of business, and even your industry in some cases, will probably benefit more from one social media platform than another. Being aware of the platforms in which your competition is successful or absent is also worth consideration. Some businesses are successful creatively using a platform that doesn’t seem like an obvious fit. It all varies from business to business. The important thing is that you identify where you want to connect with people, and then give them reasons and opportunities to connect.
WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR BUSINESS MARKETING?
The following list is mean to provide some general guidance for starting to understand the different social media platforms, and how businesses use them:
People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them. Businesses can create a free business page for these same activities, pay to “boost” their posts to specific demographics, and pay to advertise.
YouTube
YouTube’s mission is to provide fast and easy video access and the ability to share videos frequently. Businesses can post videos for free, and YouTube makes it very easy to embed them into websites and other social media sites. *YouTube is a Google product, and will connect with other Google account products.
Twitter’s mission is to give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers. Businesses use Twitter to quickly and easily share news and notifications. It can also be a means of connection via search with potential customers or other industry related businesses.
LinkedIn was built to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. Business professionals use this platform to research employment candidates, potential business partners, and providers of services that they need. This can be especially beneficial for business-to-business service providers.
Pinterest’s mission is to help people discover the things they love, and inspire them to go do those things in their daily lives. When you have a business that offers activity-driven experiences to its customers, Pinterest can be a terrific promotional tool.
Houzz
Houzz is a platform for home remodeling and design, bringing homeowners and home professionals together in a uniquely visual community. This obviously is primarily a good fit for home improvement related businesses.
One of the best things about social media is that just about all of these platforms are free. Furthermore, They give you the opportunity to connect with both existing and potential customers in a space that’s comfortable for them. Your only required investment is time. It takes time to set up your accounts / profiles / pages, and then it takes time to maintain them. Many small businesses think that they don’t have the time to do this themselves, and some actually don’t. If you’d like to discuss having Talk 19 Media help you with set up or management, or even have us teach you how to be efficient at it yourself, give us a call!
TALK 19 MEDIA’S SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SERVICES
BLOGGING
Blogging means sharing stories, experiences, and other personalized text on a regular basis, preferably through your website. We can work with you generating your own blogging content, researching blog content from others that is relevant to your site, and in some cases creating content for you.
PLATFORM PROFILE / PAGE SETUP
To use any of the platforms listed above, you’ll need to set up an account. Many have different rules for businesses than for individuals / personal users. We can help you set up your business correctly and effectively.
PLATFORM CONTENT MANAGEMENT
Once you’ve set up your social media accounts, you need to have a plan for managing them. Adding engaging content frequently is crucial. One great way to accomplish this is to have your blog “feed” your social media. Also, encouraging your customers to participate in your social media (via posting, shares, etc.) can help spread the word.
OUTREACH
Just like you want people to view, share, and comment on your content, others want you to do that for them. Supporting the businesses that you know and love on social sites will hopefully encourage them to reciprocate. This can be a part of our social media marketing schedule.
THE BOTTOM LINE
We are happy to review your current social media status, and discuss if our services would be a good fit for your business. Social media is not a “one-size-fits-all” kind of thing, so we don’t make general recommendations. We’ll look at your specific needs, resources, and goals, and let you know what we believe is your best avenue for success.