If you own your own business
in 2019, you’ve been told more times than you can count that social media is
paramount to your success. Although this is true, having an online presence
isn’t just about boosting your brand awareness anymore.
If you aren’t leveraging your
social media as a customer support channel and source of competitive
information, then you’re already missing the mark. Let’s find out what else you
could be doing right now to take full advantage of your social platforms.
Manage Your Customer Service
In a report by HubSpot Research,
90% of customers rated an “immediate” response as important or very important
when they have a customer service question. In this case, 60% of customers
defined “immediate” as 10 minutes or
less. And why is this important to you? Angry consumers are more likely to
share their negative experience with others than happy consumers are to share
their positive experiences (American Express).
- DO customize a
personal “away message” for your Facebook business page after hours to continue
providing responsive customer service, even when you’ve stepped away from your
desk. - DON’T wait to
respond to questions or concerns. Facebook now awards business pages with a
public badge for having a response rate of at least 90% and an average response
time of 15 minutes.
Keep an Eye on Competitors
Not only does social media allow you to establish your own marketing strategy, but it also gives you an open door into the world of your competitors’ strategies as well. If you’re in the same industry, your target audience may overlap. Think of it this way: don’t exhaust your energy reinventing the wheel. Which campaigns is their audience responding best to? Where is your competitor falling flat? Position yourself at that sweet spot in the middle.
- DO use their social media to
see where you’re able to differentiate
yourself in the social sphere. Find what they aren’t doing, and fill that
gap! - DON’T use your competitor’s
social media channels to copy their strategy
Tailor Your Posts
PWC recently reported that 37% of consumers find purchase inspiration through social media networks, making it the biggest source of inspiration for consumer purchases. Did the marketing manager at a software company recently follow your page? Have you received messages from an executive at a local healthcare facility asking about your services? It may be time to post your latest and greatest offerings in the tech or health & wellness categories.
- DO monitor
your followers and post product and service offerings that may be relevant to
their industries - DON’T post the
same products and stale messaging every day. Diversify the products you feature
to show your followers how expansive your offerings are. Showcasing promo
products in different categories may even spark an idea that your client hasn’t
considered yet!
Engage Young Consumers
As we noted in a previous blog,
2 in 3 millennials wear or carry a promotional product on a daily basis. For
younger consumers, social media is key to establishing relationships. According
to a report by Adobe, social
media is the most relevant advertising channel for 50% of Gen Z and 42% of
millennials. Who we now consider ‘young’ will soon be the key decision makers
in America’s workforce, so you will need to engage with them on social media if
you want to take full advantage of their interest in our industry.
- DO relate to
young consumers on their level. Create profiles on younger social channels like
Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat to stay in touch. - DON’T focus
all of your efforts on just one social media platform. Gen Z’s and millennials
grew up on the internet, meaning most are likely to have a presence across
multiple channels.
Now that you’re receiving new inbound leads, DO get in touch to see how we can help incorporate promotional product marketing into your future campaigns.
