Social media has refined itself in its tenure as a modern powerhouse, a lynchpin almost, in modern advertising.
A business that does not incorporate social media is laughable in this day and age. But, since everyone is a player, there’s more to it than the basics we’ve grown accustomed to. In integrated marketing, it’s important to know that there’s more to it than getting likes and posting funny/inspirational quotes.
The endgame is sales, but how do you do that and stay engaging, and without bludgeoning your customers with post after post after post of the same social media advertising campaign?
It’s a delicate tightrope we walk, and the wire we used to walk is gone with the rise of cloud technology, so it seems as though we are struggling to stay aloft, buttressed only by invisible information in the air. But have hope! There are methods, or just things to remember, that will keep you floating.
Tips for Effective Social Media Advertising
1) Target the Right People
You’re probably thinking to yourself “duh,” but let’s really get into this concept. When you’re crafting social media advertising, how frequently are you just posting something because it’s funny?
With the competition today, that’s not enough, because you may rack up some likes and shares, but if they’re not potential customers and they’re propagating your info to other non-customers, you’re not funneling sales. You don’t want a sedentary like, after which point your liker seems to freeze engagement with your company.
If you’re trying to sell a car, make sure your grumpy cat video has the grumpy cat riding in the car you’re trying to sell. In keeping with our integrated marketing strategy, this is another way of integrating clients with desired products.
Otherwise, your shared post will be a flash in the pan that slowly stagnates, as its likers recede from your company forever, leaving the sizzling fats to congeal and do very little. Tie your posts back to your field, and you will target people who could be excited about your company, not your single post.
2) Don’t “Socialize” Every Ad
It’s easy to forget that there is still advertising that doesn’t make its way into the blogosphere, the Twittersphere, or whatever sphere you’re orbiting today. There are ads everywhere, and not all of them are tailored and groomed for social media applications.
If Uncle Sam was pointing in your face to say “I Want You” as in the classic poster, you’d wonder how he found his way into your computer and why he wasn’t asking you rather than demanding, because the context of advertising is affected by the medium.
Use only ads that are conversational, not in terms of etiquette but in terms of openness. Social media ads must leave room for response; you and your customer should have rapport. A standalone message, like “I Want You” without opportunity for rebuttal has no place in social media.
3) Create Brand Advocates
Let your customers participate in branding you. This seems simple, but it’s a perfect system. You want to target specific people, so let them show you what they like. Let them outline the target for you!
At our integrated marketing agency, we like to integrate the client into our process as well. It’s win-win. Offer contests with nice rewards where you allow active participation, i.e. a company song contest, a Vine commercial contest, etc. People love to create, you will have a new source of advertising content, and the people making it will automatically be sharing it as well. Isn’t that lovely?
Lay’s had a great example of this, encouraging its followers to “Do Us a Flavor, ” encouraging creativity, active participation, and ultimately a new flavor that was in touch completely with their customer base, because it was invented by them!
Hopefully, these three tips have helped you rethink social media advertising. There was a time when likes and shares generated by random, detached nuggets of entertainment were enough to generate brand interest, but now everyone’s a player in that ballgame.
Set yourself apart with engaging and relevant content, and you’ll be competing with more elevated integrated marketing agencies. That way, when your information actually snowballs, when your posts take off, they’ll be taking a piece of your company with them everywhere they go.