Have You Gotten Social Lately?

Many retailers misunderstand social media. There are the ones who have embraced it as an integral part of their business, the ones who have dabbled in it and others who have ignored it and hoped it would go away. Social media does not have to be the red elephant in the corner. It can form a part of the marketing plan for a successful business.

Social media is interacting with others over a web platform with many being involved in the conversation. Today more than ever you can get a message out to so many people in such a short space of time. Stories, quotes or a You Tube video can go viral in minutes when previously it took days or months.

As a marketing tool it’s about getting your message out there, telling your story, finding out what your customers needs and wants are, knowing where they hang out what they love what they don’t and what they are talking about. So is it really that different? It’s just on a web platform and you get to find out quicker. So this is your time to embrace it if you have only dabbled in it or ignored it.

Over the next four Thursdays I will focus on the main social media forums being Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Instagram and Pinterest. These are the most important! Don’t hyperventilate! You don’t have to use all of them, just start with one to two mediums that would suit your business.

Before you decide which platform will best suit your business and market there are some important decisions you must make. Social media should be used to build a community; it should not be used to sell anything. You can advise people of happenings like special offers and sales though in between there must be other stuff like inspiration articles your posse may enjoy or trends, quotes and really cool pictures based funny stuff. Look at shoessales.com.au they do it very well and so does Lorna Jane.

1. What is your overall marketing and branding strategy? How does social media fit in with it? It must be an integrated approach.

2. What makes you different from everyone else in your market place?

3. What outcome do you want to achieve by getting on social media? Is it to get new clients? Educate existing clients? Find out consumers needs and wants and form a community?

4. What are the metrics for measuring success? Will it be increased sales or likes or shares of wallet?

5. Who is your client? What do they do on the weekend? What 10 characteristics would embody your client?

Have fun with it, be consistent and find your voice. Start of with maybe one platform and then when you get comfortable with that get onto another one. I would start with Facebook due to the fact it has over one billion followers.  Then consider Instagram or Pinterest that way you can showcase outfits, products as many of your clients are visual and want to see how things look when they are being used or put together. Encourage clients to upload their experiences. Social media covers most of the Robert Cialdini laws of influence being Law of Social Proof, Commitment and Consistency, Authority and Liking.

Social media is used to get a large audience and build a brand based on loyal brand ambassadors. Your goal is to be front of mind when a client is ready to buy.

Next Thursday we start to look at each one individually. Start doing your homework!!!