Social Marketing
The first question I usually hear from a client is about search engines, then second is about social networks. Users spent 1 of every 4 minutes they spent online using a social network like Facebook, or Twitter, beyond that there are socially driven aspects to Wikipedia, Amazon, YouTube and many other websites when you begin to consider rating systems, consumer reviews and playlists. In fact, it is hard to name websites that are large, and commercially successful without utilizing social technologies.
Common questions I hear:
- What if I really don’t understand Twitter?
- Do I have to post about what I ate for lunch?
- Once we’re on Facebook, then what do we do?
- Can I just avoid it altogether?
Danger and Opportunity
The simple answer is, yes, you can avoid it altogether and still have your business. But, just because you don’t make a page, doesn’t mean there won’t be a page about your business, it is just that you won’t have any control over it. Many social spaces create pages for businesses and organizations based on listings found in phone books and directories as well as allowing customers to create pages for their favorite (and least favorite) businesses. These pages often contain reviews, comments and information about your business already. By engaging these sites you can claim these pages and interact with your customers, or we can do it for you.
Once established, there are a number of benefits to social media marketing. Establishing a direct channel of communication between your business and your customer can give you crucial feedback on your products, as well as the very best testimonials for your company. Coupons and promotions can drive sales, while analytics systems can give you important demographic and geographic information about your customers you’ve never had before. Getting online is a good thing, and we approach it with you one of two ways. Either Bright Box Ideas trains the business owner or responsible staff member how to manage the social interactions, or Bright Box Ideas can simply handle them for you.