April 2020

Leverage Social Media

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Speaking Directly to Your Customers Has Never Been Easier

Key Social Media stats from Hootsuite’s 2020 Social Media Statistics that Matter Report shows that social media is here to stay.

  • 97% of digital consumers have used social media in the past month
  • 90% of Americans between 18-29 use social media
  • *99% of users in 2019 accessed social media on mobile

Read the full report on Hootsuite’s website.

Relatively inexpensive, easy enough to do, social media can seem like the simplest way to reach your customers. In many ways this is true, that social media can be easy, and inexpensive. Yet, anyone who has built and managed a social media following will tell you, that things may seem simple at first, but in time social media can be time-consuming and expensive.

All of that being said, social media when done correctly chan propel your brand and reach your current customers on a daily basis. Social media also has the ability to reach your ideal customer too. There are so many choices when it comes to social media platforms, that it can be difficult to know where to focus your efforts. It is important to know who you want to market to in order to choose the right platform for your business. Not all platforms are built the same, and the target demographic for each changes with the platform.

From Hootsuite’s 2020 Social Media Campaign Trends Report

The data shows us that people are using social media to connect, communicate and be entertained. We also know from the report that the number of mobile users accessing social media has surpassed desktop use. These key takeaways may seem insignificant but when we think back to what we are trying to accomplish with social media marketing, and who we are trying to reach, these key points are significant.

Trends in social media have also shown that customers and fans are hungry for authentic content from you and your business. In most cases, customers have choice where and how they spend their money. When you marketing on social media, you are trying to entice them to spend their money with your business. Give your social media accounts a personality that reflects your business. This may seem simple but it often takes a nuanced hand to do this successfully. I know this first-hand as I have seen large businesses fall short of their won expectations for this, and small businesses thrive at this.

Know where your customers are, what sets your business apart, and what you want to say to begin your business’ social media journey. If you’d like tips, advice, or a full social media content plan, contact The Marketing Department today, and let us help you reach your goal.

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Marketing Channels that Work

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So Many Channels, So Many Choices.

Any marketer will tell you that the most common question asked, is where should a company market. Today’s marketing landscape comes with a massive amount of marketing channels, sometimes making it difficult to determine which method is right for your business. Deciding where to market is something even the largest companies struggle with.

Having worked in marketing in a variety of settings I have learned many insights about marketing, but the most significant one is that there is not a one size fits all approach to marketing. Planning the right strategic marketing plan to reach your current and ideal customers, will save you a lot of time and money. More often than not, I have found that it is not one single channel that can drive a successful marketing campaign, it is a combination of several channels that help drive business.

I recently had an experience with a large corporation. They had a power-house marketing department and were massively successful in their efforts. Yet, they could not seem to reach their ideal customer. I was asked what they could do to get that ideal customer. I had the person I was working with, describe this ideal customer, and it turned out that the age, and demographic wasn’t reading trade magazines in the way that older customers were. Social media, in addition to other communication channels, were what was needed to round out their efforts.

I share this experience to highlight that sometimes, all of us need a guided hand to bounce ideas off of. From traditional print marketing to email marketing, and the use of social media, there are so many options at so many price points. Mistakes can be costly and provide little return if you are not reaching your customers. As I always say, “let the why guide you.” Think about why you are marketing. Is it to build your brand? Increase sales? Build a social media following? Think about why you are marketing and follow that up with who you are marketing to, to build a successful marketing strategy.

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