We’ve stressed the importance of jumping on the social media bandwagon before, and maybe you’ve realized that just about every successful company is involved in it, to some degree. Maybe now you’ve realized that this really isn’t just a fad, or simply something college students utilize to update their buddies on what they’re doing.Social media, when used correctly, is actually a very useful way to market your brand or business. Everyone is catching on. Stuntdubl offers their Nine Reasons Why, but these are probably the most important reasons:
1. Your competition is doing it. Most likely. Or, like you, will be soon.
2. Your customers are using it. Almost without a doubt, to some degree, whether they realize it or not.
3. More social = more search. More search = more customers. More customers = more business. It’s not rocket science.
4. It’s “grassroots.” It’s cheap. It takes time, sometimes a lot of it, sure. But there’s no cost to actually belong to social media sites, so it’s worth utilizing.
5. You can reach a lot of people at once. It’s a great way to send out information (as long as you’re not spamming) immediately.
The old method of advertising is interactive marketing. The term is misleading. Most people think it means that there is some type of interaction on the part of the person advertised to, and there is. But, it is not conversational. Instead, the advertiser wants you to interact with their campaign in a specific set of steps. Following the call to action and visiting a website for instance. It’s the push to make you do something. Live this image. Buy this now.
Social Media Marketing is just the opposite. It’s the pull of the tribe. The tribe already has your trust so the actions they take are ones you align with. On a larger scale, it’s the allure of belonging in the group as you take action together. “I am doing this so why don’t you do it with me?” On an individual level, the attraction is to behave the same way to get the same results that benefits your fellow tribeswoman or tribesman. “She looks hot! I want to look hot too. I want to go to her hairstylist” and you do. Social Media Marketing uses the power of attraction.
While advertising tries to use the same tactic, with a billboard for instance, of a gorgeous woman telling you the benefits of the salon, it doesn’t have the same impact because it’s pushing you to go. It is not pulling you in as a trusted friend. Your friends have your best interests at heart and advertisers do not. Social Media Marketing is based on building trust and that foundation will make Social Media a dominant player in Marketing.