In business today, everyone will tell you that social media is a must. We absolutely agree, but we want to explain why social media is a tool, not marketing.
My favorite example to use for social media is the Magic Bullet blender. We all try to be good and healthy, and society has generally accepted the idea that smoothies will make us healthier. Enter the Magic Bullet that makes smoothies convenient and makes a healthier and happier you.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a Magic Bullet in someone’s home… I see them mostly at garage sales and Goodwill. The Magic Bullet is nearly in perfect condition, maybe used a couple of times. And I think that is the way that most people look at social media.
Business owners are told constantly that to have a healthy and happy business, you use social media. There are many case studies to help prove this point. So, the business owner creates a social media page and posts on it for about a week. Years later we find a social media page that looks dilapidated and like it should belong in a garage sale. Customers can’t tell if the business is open or closed because of the lack of engagement.
Social media must be a lifestyle integral to your mission of serving the customer better.
This is a little bit old school, but marketers used to have companies buy classifieds and radio ads at regular intervals. It is not that the format of the advertisement is important so much as having the consistency of those touch points.
It is much easier to purchase from the business owner that you see every day at the coffee shop, than a complete stranger. Likewise, good consistent social media is a tool to build relational touch points with your current and potential customers.
Knowing your audience in this process is exceedingly important. You have to know where your audience lives, works, eats, and sleeps so that you can interact with them in a friendly fashion. For example, many Gen-Z and younger millennials are finding businesses solely from Instagram. Google Maps and Yelp are no longer the entry point, but the Instagram picture of your food is.
To speak briefly of Twitter, we typically do not recommend Twitter because of the lack of return on investment. But if you are a journalist or political figure, Twitter might be the perfect place for you because that is where your audience works, eats, and sleeps.
Pinterest can be a great advertising zone for artists and creators because that is where their audience lives.
That being said, it can be very difficult for people to create consistent content that matches their audience. It takes a lot out of your already busy day to maximize the tools and resources of social media.
At Pullman Marketing, we recognize this and want to help. We are officially launching our Social Media Success Plan that actively addresses all these concerns for small business owners.
Features:
- 12 Facebook Posts per month
- 4 images per month
- Up to 2 managed ad campaigns
- Social Profile optimization
- Spam Monitoring
- Monthly Progress Reports
Pricing: $500/mo for Facebook
Additional Services:
$100/mo for each additional social media platform
$30/day Social Interaction Management
$50/blog post up to 500 words