It’s clear that social media marketing has grown dramatically over the last few years and that with an increase of than 800 million active users, the amount of Facebook users is easily a lot more than twice the size of the entire population of the United States!
Its growth has been astronomical now, thousands of people are posting more personal and business information online than ever before. It’s happening at lightning speed with thousands of posts, tweets and uploads occurring every hour.
Recent research conducted by the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) commissioned by Sensis Pty Ltd (May 2011, p. 10) indicates, that “62% of Australian Internet users use a variety of social media sites, with many visiting each day and most at least several times a week.” It’s no surprise that with the an incredible number of prospective customers from across the world using these sites, every day, that so many businesses are determined to include social media marketing into their marketing mix. However it also important to get an understanding of how these sites are increasingly being used and what’s involved in maintaining or resourcing your organization presence on these sites. Your web footprint can stick around for a long period so don’t underestimate how this can affect the perception of your brand available in the market place. Spend time upfront thinking about whether social media marketing is right for your business.
1. Seek first to comprehend – It is very important that you understand the basics of how is social media really works and how it’s being used. What exactly are people and businesses doing with social media marketing? What gets them results? A few of you may be thinking, how do I do this? Perchance you could consider trying it out on your own by setting up a personal account, then testing some of the features, or get yourself a trusted friend showing you their account and show you through. Alternatively you can find so many resources and ‘how to’ items online about social media marketing, you could run a search on Google or on YouTube on a specific topic of interest and watch the video tutorials to obtain informed.
2. Understand your purpose – What is your purpose is for using social media marketing? What do you hope to achieve for your business by it? It’s really important that you identify your purpose for getting involved in social media marketing (or any marketing activity for that matter). You need to workout why you are engaging. What do you be prepared to achieve? Do you simply desire to build brand awareness, engage with your visitors or identify new sales opportunities? Be sure you be realistic about what you believe you will be able to achieve.
3. If you decide to take part in social media, which sites are best for you personally? – With the plethora of social media marketing sites available, which ones are best for your business? Think about where your target audience would socialize online, and think about the period of time and resources you’ll realistically be able to commit to maintaining and administering your site presence. Personal Growth are right for you? You will probably find that some certainly are a better fit than others.
4. Quality Content – In the event that you decide that social media is right for your business, carefully consider the amount and quality of information you intend to share in the online sphere. Remember it’ll probably stay there for some time, so you must make sure it accurate and reliable information that’s valuable to your target audience. It has to be relevant, otherwise people won’t read it.