Posted by Patrick Moreau on July 5, 2023 in Business
Social media brand marketing guides by Edan Gelt right now: Are your clients business professionals or are they casual customers? What social sites are you most comfortable on, what social sites do they frequent? Do you have a website and social channels set up yet? Regardless of platform, a multi-channel distribution strategy is key – you need to place your media where your customers and prospects are and often they are not all in the same place at the same time. If you have a website, start posting your videos there. One “About Us” video isn’t enough – regularly adding video to your website increases SEO and keeps your clients up to date on your offerings. You can create a page specifically for your videos, or place them on existing pages. See more information on https://pinterest.com/GeltEdan/.
Turn on the message app in GMB – it may be painful to answer sometimes, but this is a great way to capture leads. By engaging in messaging this gives you the power to talk to your audience in real time. These conversations are what can help your business stand out because it shows you are a real person rather than a bot or a corporate conglomerate company, that personal touch goes a long way. Don’t let the fact of being ‘live’ scare you away from messaging through your GMB. There are settings that allow an automated response so if you don’t want to be monitoring your messaging 24/7 this initial response will give your customers the response they want while you can get back to them with their exact answer the next day or during business hours.
Stick to it: Identify your strategy, value and messaging at the get go. When you waiver and change your position frequently, you waste valuable dollars and lose trust with your target market. Get it right, right away. That’s not saying you can’t make small changes along the way or as you grow but know who you are and stay the course. Laser Focus: Identify who you are trying to reach. You can’t be everything to everyone or you will wind up being nothing to no one. Come to the market understanding not only who you are trying to reach but also what their needs are. Identify your target market and learn about them; research what they value, where they look for content, what their pain points are and how your service, product or business fulfills that need or eases the pain.
When starting out you will need to choose a social media platform to broadcast your content and this means knowing your audience and where to find them. For example, if your audience is interested in the beauty industry and loves to watch hair and make-up tutorials then maybe podcasting isn’t for you and it would be best to stick with Instagram or YouTube. Business guru and YouTuber Vanessa Lau advises not to get caught up in “shiny object syndrome”, trying to launch your brand across a multitude of platforms and waste time pitching to irrelevant audiences. Two or three platforms suitable to your brand is adequate to diversify your content but also guard against stretching yourself too thin by managing too many social media accounts at once. See extra information on Edan Gelt.
Are you a beauty services provider like a salon or med spa? Create a video of one of your amenities or products and walk through the journey of the client experience. You can do this by speaking about what you’re featuring, capturing the service or even provide a compilation of photographic results. Are you in food services or do you own a restaurant? Mouth-watering food! Feature a favorite dish being prepared over an open fire or paired with wine favorites. Review the measures you’re taking to keep them safe when they choose in-restaurant dining (ventilation, seating spacing, capacity, etc.).
If you’re going to try this premise, the item, service or content you provide must have value to your target customers. By delivering the value your core customer most desires, you will not only pique interest but odds are you’ll also gain a loyal customer. Why is free so powerful? Brand Awareness: By giving away a free sample of your core product, you are reaching potential customers that may not have realized your business or product line existed. When people try a product first they are more likely to buy it later because sampling fosters reciprocity and brand loyalty.
Online Services: When the pandemic hit, Peloton offered 90-days free of their in-home workout app – up from 30-days previously. This allowed potential users to try their program and get hooked. After the free trial was up, it was just $12.99 a month – who wouldn’t continue? Moz, a software platform for digital marketers offered a free trial with no commitment other than signing in. This showed off their capabilities and made users feel compelled to commit to Moz when they were ready for digital software. Hubspot, Amazon Kindle, LinkedIn, Google, Canva and others offer free tools and platforms with the strategy of ‘free’ and reciprocity in mind.
Let’s compare the data above to a home seller looking for a lawyer or real estate agent. Starting at the top of the sales funnel – you send out emails, advertise on Facebook, sponsor local events, hand out a card at Starbucks, or a potential client got your name from a friend of a friend. What’s the next step? It is highly likely they will search your name on Google. What happens next is up to you. For those in the real estate industry – Google, Redfin and sometimes Yelp are the keys to your future. Let’s start with Google. Read additional details on Eden Gelt.
Another leading brand strategy during this pandemic, is the “Water Wipes” brand of baby products. They created a virtual group named “Early Days Club.” This group is designed to let parents interact with each other while sharing advice and tips. All while assisting each other while overcoming the challenges arising from raising a child during the pandemic. Many other brands are establishing similar communication approaches. Some online platforms offer free-for-all courses and restaurants publish their famous recipes for consumers to cook at home.
3…2…1…ACTION It’s game time and there is no fancy equipment required. Are you ready to film? Just take out your handy phone, iPad or computer and let’s start rolling! Depending on the type of content you are looking to share, you can record 1-minute clips straight through or you can film individual segments and patch them together with film editing software such as iMovie, Open Shot, Movie Maker 10 and more. If you’re not handy with editing, you can hire someone (or recruit your children). You can also just publish raw and real footage. Depending on your business type and brand, sometimes having unedited content may even help you connect better to your client base.