AgenteNews Insurance Producer's Online Resource
Social media and interactive marketing strategies are dominating many industries, as entrepreneurs and business leaders look to engage shoppers through various channels. The proliferation of social media platforms, online shopping and mobile devices has created a digitally driven consumer base for most companies. Rather than relying on traditional marketing outlets to engage clients, businesses are experimenting with video and social media campaigns that play into the interests and preferences of modern consumers for a higher return on investment. The low cost of online videos and social campaigns make the marketing strategies ideal for small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly those in the service industries that want to develop strong relationships with clients. The interactive features available in the digital sphere enable companies to launch discussions with a target audience to address concerns, introduce offerings or collect feedback to improve operations and profits.
When starting a business, however, many entrepreneurs undertake a social campaign or video project without considering what trends to avoid that may have become commonplace in many industries. Despite social platforms and video presentations offering highly engaging marketing tools at extremely low costs, entrepreneurs must work to sidestep certain mistakes that can turn a potentially helpful strategy into something that is detrimental to a company’s reputation or growth. When social media campaigns are poorly executed by young brands, they can become a waste of time and energy, actually absorbing company assets and resources rather than facilitating revenue gains.
Remember Content Value
Social media campaigns, particularly those making use of online marketing videos, should be based on well-thought-out, creative strategies that stand out from the crowd. With so many new and established businesses taking advantage of social platforms, young brands can no longer just start fresh with little to no strategy. Rather, entrepreneurs should experiment with different trends to see what works with their target clientele to help reach goals and effectively monetize social platforms through engagement, discussion and interactivity. No matter what platform the company chooses to use, the content provided in the video, blog, tweet or photo should be representative of the brand and its mission statement. When the content starts to deviate from the overall business strategy and offers less value to the clientele, social media efforts will no longer benefit the enterprise.
Major Missteps to Avoid
1. When starting a business and generating interest for the company via social platforms, entrepreneurs should not be fooled by the number of followers the accounts may collect in a short period of time, particularly on Facebook or Twitter. Having millions of followers can often mean large numbers of people or groups are looking to gain your business as a follower of their own account to increase their marketing audience. Furthermore, the size of the audience following the company may seem large in terms of potential sales but is still small compared to the size of the audience available on social media platforms.
2. When launching a Facebook page, for example, it is important that small businesses do not build applications that require more than three steps to activate, recommends video seeding agency The 7th Chamber. If clients are curious about a company’s services and/or products and want to download the app for more information and interactivity, having a drawn-out or complicated process can deter many viewers from following through. Social media platforms are based on a foundation of convenience and ease of use. When social media offerings become complex, many users lose interest and will move on to the next offering.
3. For a video marketing campaign, business builders should do more than just buy a YouTube advertising spot to support the project. Online videos can be seen and played through numerous channels outside of YouTube, so why limit the options? Relying solely on YouTube to efficiently reach and engage all potential clients is a poor decision, particularly for younger companies. Try out other networks that make up 70 percent of online video content to push response rates and diversify strategies.
4. When delivering marketing content via Twitter, many new users will try sending out messages regularly rather than hitting peak times throughout the day and week. When important content such as the sharing of a marketing video or resource is sent out to the public, companies should make sure not to bury the tweet with other less valuable interactions. Many entrepreneurs may accidentally bury a tweet by sending out standard messages within a few minutes after the important one was posted. In these instances, target audiences may end up reading the most recent post and overlooking the important link to high-value video content or discussions.
Follow the steps above to avoid common mistakes in your current or future social media marketing campaigns.
