It’s often said that, as a business, if you can’t be found online, you can’t be found at all. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to engage in digital marketing. In this piece, Michele Levandusky, owner of My Cup of Media, explains the difference, as well as why she says, “I’m not an Influencer, I’m a Game Changer.”
What Are Some of the Biggest Mistakes You See Companies Make with Digital and Social Media Marketing?
That is a great question and has a couple of different answers. The first is they just don’t use it. I oftentimes run into business owners and they say, “Well, my clients aren’t on social media.” And that couldn’t be any further from the truth. There are over 3 billion, yes BILLION, people using some form of social media and the average person has 7 social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat….just to name a few). I only know of one person who doesn’t use social media and that is my near 90-year-old mom who doesn’t even own a computer and still has a flip phone.
The other would be that 90% of the businesses I consult with are not collecting data, and if they are, they aren’t doing anything with it. In today’s world, people are used to being asked for their email and phone numbers, so why are we so afraid to do it? If someone isn’t willing to give you their information then they probably aren’t looking to do business with you anyhow, so what difference does it make in the grand scheme of things?
Putting a process in place to collect data from your current and potential clients and using it to set up a nurturing program is gold when it comes to increasing customer return, bringing new customers in, and increasing the average sale. Social media platforms such as Facebook give us amazing tools to target and re-target our ideal customers, but most people don’t use it.
How Important are Digital and Social Media to the Success of a Company?
Businesses lose 15% of their customer base each year. If they aren’t doing something to bring in new customers, keep the ones they have coming back more often, and increasing their average sale, it doesn’t take long to see why they will go out of business.
Digital media is as important to a business as having electricity in the office. Business owners who do use social media may post something here and there and, often times, it’s great content but if no one sees it, it’s useless. How awesome your food is, how wonderful your product or service is, and how top-notch your customer service department is means nothing if no one sees it, right?
With digital marketing, we are able to build custom audiences specific to your business and are able to get the right message in front of the right people at the right time and turn clicks into customers. Not only that, but we can track the return on investment, something traditional advertising (TV, radio, and print) can’t do.
Does the Social Media Strategy Change Based on Platform or Can Businesses Employ the Same Methods Across Them All?
100% they are different. The rules are different across the platforms and understanding the Terms of Service of each is important so your platforms don’t get shut down. Simple things like the sizing of photographs differ from Facebook to Instagram. Of course, Twitter only allows 280 characters in a tweet and those add up fast! Audiences differ from platform to platform too.
Those looking to do B2B may have better luck using LinkedIn than Instagram. Instagram and Snapchat are wonderful for younger people between the ages of 25 and 34. YouTube is great for just about any message.
Jump over to messenger marketing via messenger or text and that is a whole other world to explore as 2.5 billion people use messaging apps, 87% of smartphone users use a mobile messenger app and, in 2020, for the first time in history, there will be more mobile messaging app users than social media network users.
What Do You Wish Business Owners and Administrators Knew About Digital and/or Social Media?
Having likes, shares, and comments are nice, but they have no monetary value; the bank will not accept them as currency. It comes back to engaging with your audience, having conversations with your audience, nurturing your audience, and building a “know, like, and trust” relationship because people do business with people they know, like, and trust.
Additionally, social media is more than just status updates and #hashtags. It’s using strategy, building sales funnels, and turning clicks into customers.
Video is also so important in today’s world. We have become lazy and would rather watch a video than read an article, which is good news for businesses because we retain more information from watching a video and a video is 56% more likely to get a conversion than an article.
Video doesn’t need to be a Hollywood production either. Today’s smartphones are capable of taking excellent, high-quality video and social media platforms love raw video. Better yet, go LIVE!
What is the Number One Piece of Advice You Have for Businesses Interested in Killing It with Digital Media?
If you want to kill it with social media, hire an expert who can do that for you. If you’re insistent to do it yourself, make a plan. Decide your end goal and then make a plan for what it’s going to take to get those results. Also consider your audience and how you are going to deliver your message.
If you’re a restaurant with steak and ribs, it doesn’t make sense to advertise to vegans or vegetarians, does it? If you’re a resort for a 55+ demographic, it doesn’t make sense to advertise to 30-year-olds, right? Know how to get in front of the right people and don’t advertise to the wrong people.
Some Business Owners Prefer to DIY. What Are Some Advantages of Hiring a Pro Instead?
You wouldn’t hire a plumber to fix a leaky valve in your heart, would you? You wouldn’t hire someone out of high school who took an accounting class to do your taxes, would you? Social media needs to be thought of as an investment in your business, not an expense, just like your CPA or attorney.
Experts like myself work in it every day. We understand the ever-changing rules, insider tricks, terms of service, and strategies. If a business owner is still insistent on DIY, then they should invest in a very reputable course and be willing to pay several thousands of dollars to learn the right way.
