SPINNING A DIFFERENT WEB

SPINNING A DIFFERENT WEB
WRITTEN BY SARAH HAYNES
As we all know, the growth and success of a business rests on the ability to effectively and efficiently reach the right consumers in their target market. Traditional methods that have been used successfully so far have evolved from leaflet dropping, direct mail and email and then onto the good old World Wide Web. Building a good and effective website has long been the mainstay of securing business – and they certainly do have their plus points. Principally that they can tell you a lot about the customers that visit the site. Engagement metrics, referral sources, audience insights and the most searched-for keywords can all be provided by a high quality website. Customers also like having the ability to check out what the business offers, how it does so and – often crucially – how much it’s going to cost. We are a very long way from the days of having to ring up and speak to an actual person, but these methods are now becoming less and less effective. The world of communication has expanded exponentially yet again. We know that using platforms like Facebook, twitter and Instagram has brought a fresh approach to marketing products and services – but why? Why is the use of traditional websites for marketing being shunned more and more? The answer is that by turning to social media, businesses are now able to reach out to their customers more effectively, efficiently and cheaply.

A study carried out in 2018 showed that 9/10 websites saw a 50% plus increase in the use of their social media platforms. By contrast, website traffic stats showed around a 30% decrease in traffic. That said, Google is still the go-to no.1 for search terms, so tradition does still hold firm in some quarters.

How and why are businesses making a success of using social media?
To judge this, we need to be acutely aware just how social media has fundamentally changed the way we are connecting, communicating and collaborating as individuals, and therefore, society as a whole. It is this understanding of new internet politics which is driving businesses more and more towards taking advantage of the evolution of social media platforms as a main focus of advertising.

It’s important to remember that social media marketing is a relatively new kid on the block. Its use has trickled down steadily over the past few years forming a river from a stream and it’s pretty vital not to get hung up on the technology and tools of social media platforms, but instead focus on how they can be used effectively, why they work and how to get them working for the individual. This includes:

• Increasing the visibility of your personal brand and business.
• Building and cultivating both professional and personal networks.
• Then, by developing and growing relationships with customers.
• Engaging in real-time two-way interaction with people, including being able to answer queries and concerns fast.
• The ability to publish and distribute original content that demonstrates the individual expertise of a business.
• Sharing curated links to relevant information that adds value to your customers’ experience.
• Once a community of followers, supporters and advocates has been established, it’s then possible to cultivate this community effectively.
• And, of course, ultimately, effective use of social media can generate new leads and boost sales – the holy grail for any business.

Understanding the equation of social media.
There’s no secret to this marketing method, it’s all about social media participation. This is where you’re present on social channels and are constantly delivering value to the online community by:

• Sharing other people’s content (UGC or User Generated Content) on Facebook or LinkedIn, retweeting them on Twitter, or re-graming on Instagram.
• Answering people’s questions if you’re in a position to help – whether they’re directly related to your business or not.
• Joining the conversation on a particular topic – this could be a group on Twitter talking about a certain issue that’s sprung up through social media or by joining a relevant LinkedIn group.
• Promoting other people’s businesses and causes that will help further your own.

It really is all about engaging with a customer at the first point of contact. Increasingly, customers are seeking detailed information that isn’t necessarily apparent from a website. If they have a portal for ‘speaking to someone’, this in and of itself drives the social media popularity of that business.

If a conclusion had to be drawn, then it would be that businesses should almost certainly continue to expand into all available social media because that’s where the future lies. But it’s also important to have the traditional background resources and support available – so don’t ditch the websites altogether just yet.