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Customers Want Your Social Media Campaign to Go Viral

February 22nd, 2012 8:00am

viral mktg

Always a major concern for businesses when considering a marketing campaign is the return on investment that they will see. While social media marketing may cost far less than advertising in the traditional space, the risks can still be great. The time involved in thinking up an idea and executing it using social media is not to be overlooked. It becomes even tougher if you do not have any staff members devoted to this activity full-time.

So, is it worth it to use social networks to market to your customers? YES!! And, here’s why.

When it comes to whether or not you can get folks to talk about your brand online, there is good news. A recent study published by uSamp and discussed in an article on The Next Web found that the willingness of people to share brand preferences on social networks is quite high…for both genders.

According to the research, 74% of men are willing to recommend brands that they like. For women, the willingness is 78%. That’s a pretty good indicator of the potential that lies in wait for your business on social networks. But, if you’re expecting a random post endorsing you from a loyal customer that gets shared a thousand times over, you will most certainly be disappointed.

Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to turn your customers into fans, and fans into vocal advocates for your brand: 

  • Be Present – Ever heard the phrase “must be present to win”? Well, it absolutely applies to social media. You need not be everywhere, as we discussed previously. But, you should be found where your customers gather. Find out where that is, and make the effort.
     
  • Offer Content that Fans Want to Share – Consumers interact with a brand online because they want something exclusive. Usually, that something is a special deal they can’t find anywhere else. And, once they find it, they like to share it. There is something enticing about being the one to deliver a great deal to friends, and watching it spread. So, if you want your campaign to go viral on social media networks, make it irresistible.
     
  • Nurture Relationships – Once your campaign has gone viral, you’ll have many more customers beating down your door. Good for you. Now you must keep them. As it’s well known, the cost of keeping current customers is far less than acquiring new ones. So, keep your brand in the front of customer’s minds. Talk to them. Answer their questions. Offer another deal that continues that viral activity. Work towards building loyal customers that will talk you up if given the chance. And, give them that chance.

If you’d like some ideas on how to get your customer’s attention with social deals that get them talking, download our FREE eBook Here.

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Posted in Coupon, Facebook coupons, online shopping, social media, Uncategorized | No Comments »

No, Social Commerce Isn’t Dead

February 21st, 2012 8:00am

social commerceWithin the past year, Gap, Nordstrom, JCPenney, and Gamestop have all shuttered their Facebook Stores.

Is f-commerce well, f'd?

No. Before crying how useless Facebook is for businesses, it helps to take a second to see what these stores did wrong.

Here's an important lesson to learn: You can't just copy and paste your storefront into a new medium and expect it to work like magic.

Each social media network works differently and has a different audience (which we discussed last week), so if people are used to buying from your website, changing that behavior so that they'll buy from your Facebook Page takes more than just offering a venue to purchase.

On social networks, people need an incentive to buy, not just an ability. Putting up a storefront is not an end to itself. It is a beginning.

Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at Forrester Research in Cambridge, put it best: "it was like trying to sell stuff to people while they’re hanging out with their friends at the bar.”

This whole idea was mentioned almost a year ago - we even wrote about how social commerce is like selling hot dogs. In short, people don't go to social media networks to "shop" - they go to hang out with their friends.

As Wade Gerten, CEO of 8thBridge said,

The best way to monetize social media is to empower people to promote products to their friends not for brands to spam you on Facebook. Online shopping experiences are better when they’re social.

That can mean anything from contests to photo uploads to socially shareable coupons. It means giving Facebook fans a Facebook-specific experience and Twitter fans a Twitter-exclusive experience.

What's most frustrating about this is that Gap, Nordstrom and the like are big brands - they should have known better.

F-commerce and social commerce aren't dead, especially when they're done right. It's not about cramming another storefront in their face - It's about making buying and saving a social experience.

UPDATE: Seems not every business is blind to what f-commerce can do. As Social Commerce Today posted today, Heinz Soup received an average of 1 sale per 8 fans and 700 sales a week. Maybe JCPenney and Gap can ketchup to them.

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Posted in B2B, Economy, f-commerce, Facebook How-To, online shopping, Social Media ROI | No Comments »

Is it Social Media or Peer Pressure Media?

February 16th, 2012 8:00am

social media peer pressureIn our last post, we talked about the shear abundance of social media networks. It's a bit ridiculous.

Of course, your business doesn't have to be on every one (and, unless you have a hundred-man social media team, it shouldn't), but when selecting which social media network they should be present on, a lot of companies just seem to follow the herd mentality.

Because social media is social by nature (duh), it's bound to succumb to the power of peer pressure.

This can play great for your business, especially when it comes to viral marketing messages. But if you feel like you have to be on every network just because everyone else is, you may be suffering from Peer Pressure Media.

Peer Pressure Media, of course, is social media gone bad, and it can suck the life out of your social media strategy, by spreading your brand or business too thin.

Pinterest is the hot new social media club in town, but if your business isn't that visual, do you really need to be on it?

Google Plus is looking more and more promising, but if 90% of your target market is on Twitter, do you need a presence there?

Or what about those social media "wastelands"? It's not a wasteland if your target market is there. MySpace is still a great social media platform for bands, so it makes sense for them.

The point is, what should be guiding your social media marketing is the same thing that should be guiding all of your marketing. It's less "this is where all the cool kids are", and more "this is where our target market is".

So, whenever the Next Big Thing arrives, take a look at it, evaluate if it fits, or even ask your customers if they've joined. But don't go diving in until you can answer this question: What will joining this network do or my brand or business?

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Posted in B2B, f-commerce, social media, Social Media ROI | No Comments »

I Got 99 Social Media Networks, and Yigg Ain’t One

February 13th, 2012 8:00am

99 social media networksIf you click on the green share button below, you'll see five distinct ways to share this blog post (Editor's Note: We highly encourage you to share this blog post). 

You've got your standard email, followed by four favorites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Yahoo!

But click the little blue "More" link. Go on, we'll wait.

Whoa. Crazy, huh?

We'll save you the counting: leaving out email, there are 99 different social networks represented.

Ninety-nine! (Somewhere, Jay-Z is writing a song about this).

So just how are you supposed to keep up with all of these sites, especially with the fleeting nature of social media? Like night clubs and pop songs, they can get extremely popular real fast (hello, Pinterest!) but can then quickly fade to obscurity (goodbye, TypePad!).

From a business standpoint, this can get extremely frustrating, not to mention costly. And good luck trying to remember all of those login passwords.

What's a company to do?

There are three roads you can take when choosing a social media network for your business:

1. Know your target audience and hitch a spot on their niche social networks

If you cater to a German audience, then maybe Yigg is your social channel of choice. Or maybe Brainify is the best way to reach an academic audience. With the variety of choices, you're sure to find a niche that fits your business.

2. Pick a few major sites and stick to them

Instead of trying to follow the latest hit song or be the next great night club or one hit wonder, stick with the classics, or pull up a stool at your favorite old neighborhood bar. If you look closely, almost every one of these disparate social media sites have one thing in common: a Facebook connect button.

3. Do both

Like all things in marketing, it often comes down to testing, measuring, and adjusting as you go. So, pick a few niche sites and keep posting on the big boys and see what happens. Who knows? You might just find that kirtsy is your number one traffic source while Twitter is a dead bird for your business.

No matter which path you choose, the idea is to not spread your social media too thin. Pick two or three and do them well. Any more becomes unmanageable and worse, tedious.

Don't forget that with every social network you join comes expectations to be present and conversational (as well as new passwords to remember). The more you join, the more you'll have to keep everything fresh and updated.

So choose wisely, but don't feel obligated to stick to any one site if it's not working for your business. Remember: you can always leave a network that's just not working for you.

What do you think? Are there obscure niche sites you're a part of working for your business? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Posted in B2B, Social Media ROI, Technology | No Comments »

5 Ways to Ramp Up Your Business In The Dead of Winter

February 9th, 2012 9:30am

february dealsFebruary sucks.

There, I said it.

Unless you're in the business of selling naked babies with archery skills, roses, or chocolate hearts, it most likely sucks for your business, too.

Nobody wants to go out. The allure of the first snow has long passed, and you're still finding flecks of tinsel in your carpet. We've had it up to here with winter.

But there are a few ways to lure the customers out of their Snuggies, off of their couches, and away from the warm glow of their TV sets.

The key word there is lure.

Here are 5 great deal ideas to get your customers reaching for their keys and scrapping off the windshield to get out to your business.

1. Hot Cocoa Night

Who doesn't like a warm drink on a cold night? Restaurants have the perfect opportunity to draw in a cold-fearing crowd by offering a special offer.

It could be a hot cocoa, it could be warm and inviting comfort food. Offer anything that will warm bellies and heat up that cash register.

2. Stock Up and Save

Give your customers a reason to buy out of season by offering a deal they can't pass up. Perfect for CPG companies whose sales drop off in the winter, yet rise during the warmer months.

Create an offer now for non-perishable items usually purchased at a premium in the warmer months (think sunblock, bug spray, camping gear, etc.).

Summer-related services can also offer buy-early specials. A lawn care business can offer a special rate if a contract is signed before the first of spring, for example. This works great for golf courses and water parks, too.

3. Cold Snap Specials

Of course, if your business relies on grey skies and snowy grounds, February may be your last great chance to cash in until later this year.

Now's the perfect time to offer a last-chance sale to increase your customer-base before things start heating up.

Ski resorts, ice skating rinks, hot tub companies all are perfect matches for a last-minute deal before the sales thaw.

Heating & air conditioner services can also benefit. Nobody will be thinking about their heater or A/C unit during the spring when the windows are open, so now's the perfect time to remind them to get their air conditioner looked at before the heat comes.

4. Car Care

Let's face it: cars get all the glory when the weather is nice. Riding down the boulevard with the windows down, and a hottie in the passenger seat - it's what cars were made for.

But cars don't cross the mind as much during the cold, dreary months of winter.

That is, until your car fails to start on a frigid morning.

February is the perfect time to remind your customers about the importance of car maintenance. Whether your business is a shop, a car wash, or detailing company, give your customers a deal now so they can cruise in style later.

5. Healthy Savings

Everyone gets all healthy-minded when the weather gets warm, but February is that time of year when New Year's Resolutions are long forgotten, and it's too damn cold to care.

So, why not remind your customers that spring is just around the corner and give them an awesome deal now, so they can be fit and ready for spring?

CPG companies, restaurants, and service providers can all benefit from a health kick before the health rush. It's the perfect February freebie for gyms, shoes stores, smoothie stands, and anything endorsed by Chuck Norris.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments!
 

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Posted in B2B, Coupon, Economy, Shopping, Social Media ROI | No Comments »

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