S.M.M business are now springing up all over the place these days and they are informing anyone that will listen about how extremely important social media like Facebook twitter and YouTube are to your business however, for the average small to medium sized service, does marketing to social networks truly live up to all the hype? Social media marketing business are all too pleased to point out the positives of social media like how many people utilize Facebook or how numerous tweets were sent out last year and how many individuals view YouTube videos etc. however are you getting the full image? Being the research nut that I am, I decided to take a great look into SMM in regard to offering to see if it really worked, who did it work for and if it did why did Social Media Marketing work for them?
As a web developer I was continuously (and now progressively) faced with a number of social networking challenges when prospective clients would say that having a website sounds great however they had a Facebook service page and had actually been informed by different sources (the ever present yet confidential "they") that socials media were the important things to do, however after discussing their requirements it became quite clear that those possible customers didn't in fact know why they required social networks or SMM to generate online sales, They just wanted it. For small and medium sized company I always suggested developing a quality site over any kind of social media, why? Well it's simple truly since social media is Social Media, and social Networks are Social Networks they are not organisation media and organisation networks (that would be more like LinkedIn). I know that sounds basic however it holds true and the data back it up. The reality is that social media marketing cannot inform you that Facebook is a social media network not an online search engine and regardless of the variety of Facebook users and Google users being around the very same, individuals do not utilize Facebook in the same way that they utilize a search engine like Google (which has around half the online search engine market), Yahoo and Bing to look for service or items. They utilize it to correspond with friends and family or for news and home entertainment. 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 only around 23% in fact purposefully use social media to engage with brand names. Now from all the people who do utilize social media and who do interact with brand names whether purposefully or not, the bulk (66%) say they have to feel a company is communicating truthfully before they will engage.
So how do you utilize social media marketing? And is it even worth doing?
Well first off I would say that having actually a well optimized site is still going to bring you even more company that social media in most cases especially if you are a little to medium sized local service due to the fact that far more people are going to key in "hairdresser Port Macquarie" into a search engine like Google, Yahoo and Bing than they ever will on any Social Media Website and if you don't have a website you're losing out on all of that prospective organisation. In spite of all the (not so excellent) data I still think it is still an excellent idea for service to use social media simply not in the same method that a lot of SMM experts are today, Why? Due to the fact that it's clearly not working in the way they declare it does. Generally SMM Business and Company as a whole looked at social media networks like Facebook as a fresh market ripe for the picking when Facebook started getting users determined by the millions PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel invested US$ 500,000 for 7% of the business (in June 2004) and since them a few equity capital companies have made financial investments into Facebook and in October 2007, Microsoft revealed that it had bought a 1.6% share of Facebook for $240 million. Since Facebook's modest beginnings up till now (2012) both SMM Business and Organisation have actually failed to truly capitalise on the huge number of Facebook users online. The truth is numbers does not equivalent purchasers. Is it in a Social Media Marketing business's benefit to talk socials media up? Absolutely. Is it in a Social Media like Facebook's best interests for individuals to believe that business can sell en masse by marketing and advertising with them? Obviously it is. In early 2012, Facebook revealed that its revenues had jumped 65% to $1 billion in the previous year as its income which is generally from advertising had jumped nearly 90% to $3.71 billion so clearly the idea of SMM is exercising for them however it is exercising for you? Well ... statistically no, but that does not always mean that it never will.
I believe the significant distinction in between social networks and search engines is intent. People who utilize Google are deliberately looking for something so if they do a search for hairdressers that's exactly what they are looking for at that particular time. With something like Facebook the main intent is typically to get in touch with friends and family. In October 2008, Mark Zuckerberg himself said "I do not believe social networks can be monetized in the same way that search (Online search engine) did ... In three years from now we have to find out what the optimum model is. However that is not our main focus today". One of the greatest problems service face with socials media and SMM is perception. According to the IBM Institute for Service Worth study there were "considerable spaces in between exactly what businesses think customers appreciate and what consumers state they desire from their social media interactions with business." For example in today's society people are not just going to hand you over there suggestions, Facebook likes, remarks or information without getting something back for it, so the old adage "what remains in it for Social Media Agency me?" enters into play. So the main factor many people give for engaging with brands or company on social media is to receive discount rates, yet the brands and organisation themselves believe the primary reason people connect with them on social media is to discover new products. For brands and organisation receiving discount rates only ranks 12th on their list of reasons that individuals communicate with them. Most organisations believe social media will increase advocacy, but just 38 % of consumers agree.
There were some great efforts revealed in the IBM study of companies that had actually gotten some sort of a deal with on how to use social media to their benefit, keeping in mind that when asked what they do when they interact with organisations or brand names through social media, consumers note "getting discount rates or discount coupons" and "buying products and services" as the leading two activities, respectively an U.S ice cream business called Cold Stone Creamery offered discount rates on their items on their Facebook page. With both Cold Stone Creamery and Twelpforce the benefit is plainly in the favour of the great technique & the prospective consumer to social media marketing is to offer without trying to offer (or looking like your selling) sadly most social media marketing is focused the incorrect way.
Building a concrete buyer to customer relationship through social media is not easy and most likely the most benefit to business' utilizing social media to increase their sites Google rankings. Business' require to understand that you cannot just setup a Facebook organisation page and hope for the best. SMM needs effort and prospective consumers have to see value in exactly what you have to use through your social media efforts provide something worth their social interaction and time and after that you might get better outcomes.
Now just as a footnote Facebook shares have dropped to under $20 per share, that's half their original rate ... and the lawsuits are flying
As a web designer I was constantly (and now significantly) faced with numerous social networking difficulties when potential clients would state that having a website sounds excellent but they had a Facebook organisation page and had been informed by various sources (the ever present yet confidential "they") that social networks were the thing to do, but after discussing their requirements it became quite clear that those possible clients didn't in fact know why they required social networks or SMM to generate online sales, They just desired it. Well it's easy really since social media is Social Media, and social Networks are Social Networks they are not organisation media and company 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 specified that they do not engage with brand names over social media at all and only around 23% really purposefully utilize social media to communicate with brand names. Well first of all I would state that having actually a well enhanced site is still going to bring you far more organisation that social media in most cases particularly if you are a little 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 Website and if you do not have a site you're missing out on all of that prospective organisation. The primary factor the majority of people provide for interacting with brands or service on social media is to receive discounts, yet the brand names and business themselves believe the main reason people communicate with them on social media is to discover about brand-new products.
