E-commerce and social media are fundamental pillars of consumerism. They are the bridge brands need to build to reach their customers. Success or even survival with just a physical storefront is next to impossible in today’s world.
The lines between the “virtual” world and the “real” world have blurred completely. In the simplest of terms, the vast majority of consumers have the expectation that all brands have social media accounts and an online store.
For any skeptics out there, here are a few cold hard facts:
A survey of U.S. consumers determined that over 90% of people between the ages of 18-44 who use social media follow brands on social media.
Around the world, the number of online transactions the average consumer makes per year is well into the double digits. In North America alone, consumers are likely to make around 20 online transactions in a year. These numbers are steadily growing as brands embrace the power of ecommerce.
The top three reasons for shopping online? Convenience, the ability to compare prices easily, and access to sales and other ways to save money like coupon codes or time limited deals.
Brands big and small are now enlisting internet stars and social media users with large follower counts to be brand ambassadors.
When comparing the benefits and drawbacks of online shopping versus shopping in-store, online always comes out on top.
Why E-commerce and Social Media are on the Rise?
The simple answer is: consumers are offered more freedom in an e-commerce setting. They feel less pressure to make a decision and more in control of their purchases.
The Top 3 Reasons Shoppers Buy Online:
Using the internet means that they have instant access to expert and customer reviews of the products they want.
Deal hunting and pricing comparisons between multiple brands and retailers.
To top it all off, they can do all of their shopping whenever they want, wherever they want!
If you were waiting for a sign that you should set up an online shop, this is it! Get online yesterday, and don’t forget to start social media accounts for your brand.
Need a hand getting started? Contact us! We have a team of digital marketing experts and social media managers who can help your brand dominate the e-commerce space.
Running a contest is a sure-fire way to boost engagement and grow your audience. Why? People love free stuff! And who could blame them? Contests are a win-win for everyone.
In exchange for a small investment on your part (i.e. the prize), you have a simple and non-intrusive way to gather contact information from potential customers.
The mechanics of running a social media contest can get a little tedious if you are doing all the work yourself. To streamline the process, we have assembled a handy guide to the best apps for social media contests that do all of the nitty-gritty stuff for you.
Use it for: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube
Perks: Drag and drop functionality; 90+ templates and 30+ themes to choose from; the ability to run Hashtag contests, Landing Page contests and web page Embedded contests; analytics tools for monitoring your campaigns’ progress.
Cost: Plans run from the Free plan that comes with 100 entries and the basic features, all the way up to the Brand plan which comes with 500,000 entries and far more extensive features at a cost of $499/month.
Use it for: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google +
Perks: A variety of contest options including photo contests, quizzes, sweepstakes, coupons and more; highly advanced and detailed analytics to help you pinpoint what works and what doesn’t.
Cost: Plans runs from $49/month for individuals up to $299/month for large businesses and brands.
Use it for: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
Perks: App integration with a vast array of management tools including Salesforce, Slack, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, Mad Mimi and much more; email marketing automation; 10 social media contest options including video contests, referrals, hashtags and sweepstakes.
Cost: Plans runs from $49/month up to $199/month with the option of a 14 day free trail for all plans.
Perks: Unlimited giveaways and entries at any plan level; simplest user interface out there; instant email integration with apps like MailChimp, Mad Mimi, Mailjet and many more; custom themes; flexible billing.
Cost: Basic features, including unlimited giveaways and entries, are available with the Free plan. A step up will cost you $13/month. The priciest option with all of the bells and whistles will cost you $89/month.
Use it for: Facebook with integration for Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
Perks: A variety of contest types including photos, quizzes, polls and games; extensive integration with Facebook; campaign templates with the option of customization to fit your needs.
Cost: Yearly and monthly plans are available. Solo plans are $30/month while plans for larger businesses can cost up to $500/month. An option for enterprises with tools for managing multiple brands is also available.
Use it for: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Steam, Twitch, Eventbrite
Perks: Unique reward system setups like Unlocking Game Keys, as well unique contest entry options like Nominate-a-Friend; 3rd party app integration; fraud protection; support for 20+ languages.
Cost: Plans are available from $0/month with limited features, all the way up to $149/month or $1,490/annum.
These apps take a lot of the guesswork and technical stuff like coding out of running social media contests, so that you can focus on growing your business.
Public negative feedback is every business owner’s worst nightmare. Social media makes it easier than ever before for customers to post complaints and criticism all for the world to see. How you respond to negative feedback has an impact your reputation.
Customers want to know that they are appreciated and valued by the brands they buy from. With this in mind, check out our tips for handling negative feedback like a pro.
Track Your Mentions
While people will use social media to sound off about your brand, they won’t always do you the favour of tagging your company directly. In order to respond to feedback, you need to be aware of what your customers are saying about your brand. Keep an eye on all hashtags, mentions, keywords, and links that are connected to your brand. You can even set up a Google Alert to notify you when certain key phrases have been used anywhere on the internet.
Sometimes No Response Is the Best Response
Not all negative feedback deserves a response, so pick your battles. As your brand grows and gains a larger audience, you may see an uptick in trolling or inappropriate comments that spout derogatory sentiments. These comments are often provocative for the sake of eliciting an emotional response. It is best not to engage directly. Instead, include a set of community guidelines on your page where customers can see what kind of comments your brand will not tolerate, and delete any comments that violate these guidelines.
Timing Matters
Part of the reason why so many customers turn to social media to vent their frustrations is that they expect that online complaints will receive a faster response. The majority of social media users believe companies should be responding within an hour or two. Unanswered comments can foster even more frustration and upset leading to more negative feedback. Part of building ongoing customer loyalty is maintaining a quick response time.
Avoid Using Dismissive or Accusatory Language
Resist the urge to fight back. Using language that dismisses a customer’s concern or implies the customer is to blame for the issue is a BIG no-no. Make use of your active listening skills and work to acknowledge the criticisms raised; and do not forget to be specific in your reply. A customer that feels heard and valued is much more likely to be receptive to any solutions you can offer them.
Engage in Public Then Continue the Conversation One-On-One
Make your initial reply in public so that the customer and anyone else reading is aware that you are present, honest and approachable. Public replies show your customers and prospects that you are actively reading their feedback which will encourage them to engage with your social media pages.
After you have made your public reply, initiate a private conversation with the commenter through direct messaging. In a private exchange you will be able to discuss their complaint and gather account information or order details without jeopardizing their privacy.
No one can do it all on their own. If you need someone with expertise in social media management to monitor your socials and engage with customers, contact us! Our diverse team includes community managers with the know-how to help you navigate those comments.
As 2017 draws to a close, now is the time to review and reflect on the past year. A year-end review is vital to ensuring your success in 2018. Why? Well, if you have been keeping up with our blog, you know that one of the fundamental steps in building a strong brand is to collect data on how each of your marketing strategies is performing.
December being the last month of the year, it is an ideal time to review what worked, what didn’t work, and how you can improve in the coming year.
Last Year’s Highs and Lows
Identify the high points and the low points of the year. Consider your costs, the time expense involved and whether the final outcome was worth it. You may find that there are high points that were too costly for your business in the long run, or you may discover low points that could have been successful with slight adjustments.
Review these periods careful to gain a full understanding of how your customer or client base responds to different marketing strategies. Were you able to achieve your objectives? Were there added benefits or problems that you did not foresee in the planning stages but are obvious now with some time to reflect on them?
Resolutions and Next Year’s Goals
Using the insights you have gained from reflecting on the successes and failures of this year, create new strategies for 2018. What you learned in 2017 will help you determine your business objectives for next year. You may decide to work on achieving goals that were not met in the past year, or you may instead choose to draw up entirely new milestones you would like to reach that are more reflective of your current situation.
Even if you decide to scale back certain parts of your business and reallocate your energy into other parts of your business, do not think of this as a failure. In fact, it is just smart business. As the world changes around you, make adaptation one of your top priorities.
New Year, New Strategies
The holiday season gives you a little bit of time to stop and catch your breath. Over the year you have probably come across new tools and strategies that you suspect may help improve your business. Take this time to explore new software, the latest developments in your industry, and fresh ways to connect with your target audience and grow customer loyalty.
If you are a small business owner, you may not have a lot of people you can turn to who can help you set business goals for next year. Connect with our team of experts to find out how you can grow your business in 2018.
As the winter holidays creep ever closer, this is a critical time for your social media and marketing efforts. There is a phenomena that social media managers like to call the “holiday slowdown.” It sounds harmless enough, but the holiday slowdown can be devastating for small businesses. Even big brands can struggle during the holiday season if they are not making the extra effort to incorporate seasonal trends in their marketing materials.
What Is the Holiday Slowdown?
The holidays are a busy time of year for most people, especially families. Consumers are far less likely to engage with social media posts that have little to do with the season’s festivities. During this time most of their online activity will likely be focused on holiday celebrations and gift-giving. Social media posts that do not reflect the importance of the holidays are going to receive less engagement overall.
Businesses wanting to maintain steady engagement throughout the holidays should endeavour to tailor their social media activity to the nature of the season.
Mastering Holiday Social Media Posting
• Posts recognizing specific holidays. Extend well wishes to your followers and customers with festive branded images that recognize specific holidays. For instance, on New Year’s Day, you could post a “Happy New Year” image with copy that asks followers to share their New Year’s resolutions.
• Offer seasonal promotions and deals. Spending is high during these weeks, so make sure to get in on the action by offering seasonal promotions or discounts. With budgeting and saving at the forefront of most followers’ minds, an opportunity to save some cash will be too hard to pass up.
• Share high value content with a seasonal focus. This is a great time to send out newsletters, post articles and share resources that tie into the holidays. Your subscribers will appreciate the topical information, especially if it offers them a solution for a common seasonal problem.
• Team up with a charity in the spirit of giving. Show off your giving nature and partner with a charity to do some good this holiday season. Sharing your company’s experiences raising money, putting together gift baskets, or volunteering at a local shelter can help you build comradery among your employees and humanize you in the eyes of your social media followers. You may even inspire your followers to perform their own acts of kindness. Better yet, invite your followers to join you and your team in doing some charity work.
• Run a giveaway in honour of the holidays. ‘Tis the season of giving after all. Holiday giveaways encourage engagement and drive traffic to your website and social media pages. Include holiday themed items, and merchandise or a gift certificate from your business. Giveaways are also a fantastic way to increase follower counts and gather contact information from customers.
Need some guidance on maintaining engagement over the holidays? Contact us! Our social media managers are happy to share their expertise.
Have you ever wondered how businesses advertise on social media? No matter how big or small your business is, social media advertising is an easy and affordable way to grow your customer base and expand your reach. With the majority of consumers browsing social platforms every day, advertising on social media gives you the best chance of reaching the masses.
What Are Your Goals?
One of the biggest benefits of social media ads is the ability to tailor campaigns to meet specific goals. You can create ad campaigns to achieve the following:
Boost Brand Visibility—Get more exposure for your company with ads designed to cultivate views.
Drive Traffic—Do you have an online store or a website you want customers to see? Use ads to navigate users to your web page.
Selling on Social Media—If you prefer to advertise your products through your social media accounts, you can create ads for direct selling.
Downloadable Content—Increase downloads for your apps, eBooks, podcasts and more by directing users to the download pages where those products are hosted.
Generate Leads—Collect contact information (i.e. email addresses) to help you establish connections with prospective customers. Email addresses can be used for sending out newsletters, reports and any other quality content.
Who Are You Trying to Reach?
Now that you have the ‘what,’ it’s time to think about the ‘who.’
Who are you selling to? Who are the people that will be interested in your products? Social media platforms (like Facebook) will often provide ad management tools that you can use to determine which users are interested in your ads. These tools can provide valuable insights for determining how effective your ad campaigns are in connecting with your target audience.
Craft a profile for your target customers by answering these questions:
Where is your target audience located? Where do they live? Are they local or international?
How old is your target customer?
Which genders are you targeting?
How much do they earn per year? Do they budget their expenses?
What level of education are they likely to have?
Do they have families? Are they single or married? Are they a caretaker for their parents?
What are their shopping habits? Do they value great deals or higher quality products? Do they clip coupons?
What are their hobbies/interests? What kind of recreational activities do they prefer?
To craft an effective ad, research the answers to as many of these questions as you can. Then, adjust your advertising approach based on the answers. Test out a few campaigns and make adjustments as you go. This might mean scaling back a promo code offer and investing more ad spend in exposure campaigns. Whatever the case may be, use the insights provided by the management tools to gain a stronger understanding of your target audience’s habits and learn how you can use this information to grow your customer base.
Not sure how to get started? Connect with our team of experts! Social media advertising is one of the many services we offer.
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