Get Social or Get Left Behind

Since 2011, mobile sales have surpassed those of desktops, and the gap only continues to widen—and with it comes more interaction with mobile devices. Mobile Internet usage is surpassing PC usage. Daily, more time is now spent in apps than watching TV. Almost an hour a day is spent using social networks (mostly Facebook). Given these trends and what we know about social media interactions, the takeaway from this new paradigm is clear: Companies that are not investing properly (or at all) in social media are missing a major opportunity to not only drive direct business goals, but also connect with their consumers and gain valuable insights.

Here are five tips that any company, large or small, should consider when looking to ramp up existing marketing efforts.

 Start with social first

Truly integrated companies think about social media first in everything they do. For them, social media is no longer just one in a list of tactics or a place simply to be present—it’s a driving force in branding and marketing strategy. Because consumers are constantly checking in with brands, companies have to be thinking of social first all of the time.

 Leverage what you already have

There is less separation between online and real-world marketing efforts today. Your website, email marketing, advertisements and signage can now be seen as a means to encourage people to interact with your brand on social media, as well as to deliver a primary message. Integrate social media into your entire customer journey—promote your most popular social posts in your newsletter, incorporate your relevant hashtags in ads, and link your social network pages to the website.

 Make your website content social

The Internet is becoming an increasingly social place, so make sure your content is easy to share. But, this does not only mean adding social share buttons. We will use Google as an example.

• Google has changed the way search works for optimization (always did and seemingly always will!).
• It is trying to deliver content in the way people are searching for it. With its Hummingbird update, content that answers a question or is written in a more conversational form will appear in search first.
• Google is indexing tweets to pull into search results in real time. Therefore, every tweet should be written in a way that drives people to interact with your brand or links back to your website. Think of it as a mini landing page for your brand.

 Conversations are happening whether you see them or not

Beware: People are talking about your company on social media whether or not you use that channel (for most brands). In fact, it’s a misconception that people only complain online—they talk to each other about your brand there, too.

• Most companies that are socially integrated monitor the conversations online and then use that for research and development. This is smart because it’s free information at your fingertips versus running a focus group or customer survey.
• For example, our agency works with a Houston-based holistic skincare company, Source Vital, which received feedback on social media asking for more cost-effective shipping options. In response, Source Vital recently launched a new program offering customers free shipping when they spend a certain amount.
• Take ownership of your data. Consolidate what you are learning from customers in the social space with the rest of your marketing and business insights.

Invest in your social media channels

Social media isn’t free. In fact, digital advertising spend in general is on the rise. In a recent Salesforce study, 70 percent of marketing managers stated that they plan to increase their social media adverting budgets.

Before you amp up your social media spending, invest in a community manager. I’m not talking about an intern; I’m talking about someone with full responsibility for your company’s social media posts and interactions with consumers.

• This person should proactively search for content about you online, listen to your community’s reaction to that content and respond appropriately, and watch for industry trends to comment on or write about.
• The community manager responds to fans who are sharing kudos and love and those on the other side who are having product/service issues.
• This is an area that has recently been questioned given changes on platforms, like Facebook, and an accompanying dramatic decrease in organic reach and fan engagement, but your community manager is as critical now as ever in spite of the changing conditions. In short, if you don’t have a community manager, you have no business being on social platforms.

Thanks largely to the adoption rate of social media, a major shift has occurred in the way companies are doing business. People are having online conversations about your brand on a day-to-day basis. Companies of the future will work hard to ensure they are part of those conversations. Will you?