As a marketing coach and social media marketing strategist who has worked in the past as a senior level sales executive in TV advertising, my first measurement is always… sales? Has your sales increased from your efforts using Social Media Marketing? Do you know your ROI?
My client, Haven From Hunger, recently won a $20K grant from our Social Media Marketing efforts by asking people to vote on facebook and twitter for the Haven to win the Walmart Fighting Hunger grant. Had they not launched a Social Media Marketing Campaign several months ago, they would not have had the contacts online to get the number of votes they needed to win this large and much needed grant money.
Making more money is why most of us started a business, but have you considered other parts of Social Media Marketing that will help your business close more sales, but often are not utilized enough when businesses go to sites like Facebook and Twitter. Are you discovering what people think about your business or products? Do you know how people are talking about your service or the customer experience? One of my local clients, Douglass Appliance Center, has had a very successful family business for over 40 years. Their tagline line, “The extra “S” stands for SERVICE”, is on their printed advertisements and their television commercial, but the new strategy we have launched for their Facebook page in which we engage more with their clients has offered measured results of how they are seen as a leader in offering exceptional service and the best products.
Feedback on how to improve your customer service or products is another benefit to launching a successful Social Media Marketing Campaign. While some companies will hire a Marketing Consultant to do a formal marketing test and analysis on why products are not selling, a Social Media Marketer could simply ask for feedback online from various sites. What would have taken months to gather in research can now be found in real time with a skilled Social Media Marketing expert.
Another key purpose to consider with Social Media Marketing is the ability to listen to what people are saying online about your type of business or product. Hearing the terms they use and how they describe your services or products can offer you a list of keywords for your website and other social sites. Key terms for your business are essential to know for Google Campaigns, building website and blogging and will help to make your tweeting and posting to social sites far more effective. Sometimes we are just too close to our business to know what words people use and opportunities can be missed if we are not aware of how others describe us.
Finally, there is another result of Social Media Marketing that a company should be considering…are you gaining success from key businesses or people with influence in your industry or geographic area? A new business can speed up their brand identity and success and get known very quickly if they utilize Social Media Marketing well and connect with the influencers online. A few weeks ago my daughter, Nicole Palmer, launched a page on Facebook called Pet Grooming by Nicole for her grooming services at Four Leggers Doggie Daycare in Beverly. She was able to leverage my contacts and grew the page to over 100 LIKES within a few days, but also doubled the grooming bookings she had for the month by getting her message out and added photos of the dogs she has groomed to exemplify her skills on Facebook for her followers to see.
We all want more sales, but a well crafted Social Media Marketing Campaign will yield a wealth of information that can guide your business beyond just the sale! If your business needs help with Social Media Marketing please contact Purple Diamond!
