How a Proactive Social Media Strategy Helps Business

Consumers are now spending more time on social media networks than any other form of the web. It is amazing how fast social media sites and new ideas are spreading on line. What is your business doing to take advantage of a proactive social media strategy?

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Facebook has a monthly audience of nearly a billion visitors.  That’s a B as in billion. Other top sites, like Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, attract hundreds of millions.  By now, nobody doubts the power of social platforms, although few marketers have been able to exploit them as fully as they desire.

As Harvard’s Mikołaj Piskorski makes clear in his new book, A Social Strategy, businesses have a long way to go before they truly begin to unlock the potential of the social web.  Most marketers, in fact, use social media much as they would ordinary media—to broadcast messages. We are still not working as hard as we can on engagement and building relationships.

And the real potential lies in building relationships and utilizing social platforms to create solutions for customers’ social problems.  While consumers are understandably skittish about corporations interjecting themselves their personal conversations, they appreciate the opportunity to meet and build relationships with others.  And that, it turns out, this is an enormous opportunity.

That’s why it’s important to make the distinction between a digital strategy that involves social platforms and a true social strategy.  For a social strategy to succeed, simply joining the conversation is not enough.  You must lead it.

Here are some good ways you can capitalize on social media and improve your customer engagement and relationship building. Put these seven social elements to use in your business’s social media strategy:

Market Research

Nothing new here, as this was always important to a business. What is new is the access to millions of consumer communications, which represents a gold mine of data, available at the low cost of your ability to mine it.

Public Relations

Social networks represent a direct channel into consumers. You need to craft new, compelling messages for them, without selling.

Brand Marketing

Increase the value of your brand through this communications channel. Reinforce old relationships, build new ones, and stretch the real lifetime of both with the value utilities you can provide.

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Customer Support

Many ways to add value to the products and services you provide, while increasing your image.

New Product / Service / Business Model Development

Leverage the public pool of ‘collective brain’ to define and test new market opportunities.

Consumer Education

Create valuable discussion boards and other means to respond to ‘asks the expert’ type of information. Ask your customers for information / education they would like to see.

Promotions

Reach more customers with added communications channels. Integrate all of your channels to improve on the information and messages you provide.

Social Listening

Social media gives us a great opportunity to listen in on what people are saying (with lots of emphasis on listening).  It has been long known that word of mouth is incredibly powerful, and I’d say it is the best marketing technique in one’s arsenal.

 Social listening tools are still somewhat primitive, but they are improving quickly and are already being deployed to help monitor conventional marketing efforts in real time.

Rishad Tobaccowala, on his blog, gives a nice overview of social listening.  Among his insights is that you shouldn’t keep your efforts sequestered in an isolated social unit any more than you would wall off other types of research.  Rather, you need to make sure to integrate social listening into your overall marketing and customer service efforts.

He also makes the apt observation that heavy influencers are not necessarily heavy users (in fact, they don’t need to consume your product at all).  So social media may be the only real shot you have to interact with some of those who can affect how your brand is perceived.

Another nice thing about social listening is how easy it is to integrate it into the rest of your marketing intelligence.  It can help shape and augment focus groups, monitor mass media campaigns and combine with other real time resources such as Google Insights.

The bottom line

Social media is a ‘pull’ and not a ‘push’ medium. It is two way conversations … where response time is very important.

By creating a social media mindset and culture within your business, you will be amazed at how your customer base and relationships can grow.

Being social with a great positive engagement isn’t a new way of marketing; it’s a way of doing business. Follow these simple tips and you will be leading the way.

How many of these strategies have you tried in your business? Please share a story or two about some of your social media campaigns.

FIVE MARKETING CAREERS YOU CAN PURSUE

Do you know the art of persuasion? Maybe you’re fascinated by how people think, act, and what they need. If that sounds like you, consider pursuing marketing careers.

In today’s business world, good marketing is essential for success, no matter how big or small your venture is. Even if a business has incredible products or services, it won’t do well if people don’t know about them. That’s where marketing professionals play an important role. They create strategies to connect with the right audience and get the word out.

The great thing about a marketing career is that you can take many different paths. If you’re not sure which one suits you best, don’t worry. In this article, we’ll look at five lucrative marketing careers that may help you decide your path:

Brand Manager

Brands are more than just logos and slogans; they’re the personality and identity of a business. Brand managers are responsible for shaping and maintaining a brand’s image and reputation. They oversee everything from logo design and advertising campaigns to customer perception and brand loyalty. It’s a role that requires a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of brand psychology. This role requires creative and strategic thinking, brand analysis, and managing cross-functional teams.

The minimum education requirement to pursue this role is a master’s degree in marketing. Besides, you can even pursue a marketing strategy certificate to learn new skills and become a pro in your niche.

Typical job duties of a brand manager may include the following:

  • Conduct market research and analyze customer behavior.
  • Create, implement, and track brand strategies.
  • Manage budget and allocate resources effectively.
  • Develop and maintain good working relationships with different parties, including vendors, suppliers, influencers, etc.

Digital Marketing Specialist

Over the past few years, the world has gone digital quickly. Today, every business, irrespective of its type and size, has an online presence, and they look for ways to boost it. Businesses are constantly seeking skilled professionals to navigate the ever-changing online world. As a digital marketing specialist, you’ll promote products or services through various digital channels. This includes creating and managing online advertising campaigns, optimizing websites for search engines (SEO), and engaging with customers on social media platforms.

These professionals understand business objectives and leverage tools to devise comprehensive digital marketing plans to meet those goals. So, if you are tech-savvy, a social media enthusiast, and have knowledge of digital marketing, this career path might be an ideal fit for you. Moreover, you must have sound knowledge of all digital marketing channels and tools. Also, excellent time management, communication, and analytical skills are a must to pursue the role of a digital marketing specialist.

The day-to-day job responsibilities of a digital marketing specialist may include the following:

  • Develop and execute digital marketing strategies to drive traffic and increase revenue.
  • Evaluate performance and make necessary adjustments.
  • Oversee different social media accounts of the company and optimize campaigns to increase ROI.
  • Keep abreast of emerging technologies and the latest practices in the industry.

Market Research Analyst

It won’t be incorrect if we say that market research analysts are the detectives of the marketing world. They collect and analyze data to help businesses understand their target markets better. Studying consumer behavior, preferences, and market trends provides valuable insights that drive marketing decisions. This could be your niche if you enjoy uncovering hidden patterns and making data-driven recommendations. This career requires an exceptional analytical mind, strong communication, and data interpretation skills.

Some of the job duties of market research analysts are listed as follows:

  • Develop and assess techniques for data collection.
  • Identify business goals and create surveys to determine potential customers’ preferences.
  • Employ statistical methods to interpret data and subsequently share findings via reports to relevant stakeholders.
  • Offer recommendations based on the findings to the upper management.

Product Marketing Manager

Product marketing managers gain a deep understanding of the company’s products. These professionals learn the products’ features and benefits and craft effective marketing strategies or campaigns to promote and sell the items. Not only do these individuals need to study the company’s products, but they also must understand the target audience. Only then can they get the word out and create marketing plans to increase sales. Product marketing managers are adept in strategic planning, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Below are the common job responsibilities of a product marketing manager:

  • Learn about the company’s products and manage their positioning and branding.
  • Collaborate with various teams to develop campaigns for each product.
  • Create compelling messages for products for all the target audience.
  • Determine the effectiveness of campaigns by evaluating and reporting on key performance measures.

PR Specialist

Public relations or simply PR specialists, as the name suggests, are professionals who manage the company’s reputation and image. Since public perception is crucial for companies, these professionals will always be in high demand.

That said, your primary job duties as a PR specialist will be to handle media relations, write press releases, manage crisis communication, and cultivate strong relations with influencers and journalists. Hence, organizational and communication skills, public speaking, and attention to detail are a must if you wish to succeed in this job role.

Some of the everyday job duties of these professionals may include the following:

  • Draft compelling press releases, white papers, case studies, and media summaries.
  • Build and maintain good relationships with industry stakeholders and media contacts.
  • Organize and supervise events, conferences, and interviews to promote the company’s initiatives.
  • Keep track of media coverage and generate reports to evaluate the success of PR activities.

Summing Up      

Pursuing a career in marketing is both personally and financially satisfying. So, if you have a creative mindset, communication skills, and love interacting with people, a marketing career is an ideal fit.

Now that you’ve explored these diverse marketing careers, how do you choose the right path? Start by reflecting on your interests, strengths, and passions. Consider your skills and qualities and what type of work environment suits you best.

Don’t forget that the world of marketing is ever-evolving. Continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends are essential. You might also consider pursuing relevant certifications or degrees to boost your career prospects.