Selecta Systems Marketing Manager, Mark Walker, talks about how on-line sales and social media engagement have soared in recent months and it’s become more apparent that having a marketing plan for on-line presence should form a vital part of every businesses marketing strategy – especially social media.
Recent events have seen the way we live change considerably with almost every person having to adjust and adapt to the new living conditions. The same can also be said of how we have all had to do business. Those that have and do adapt will be the ones who will have the best chance of retaining and picking up new business. Movement restrictions have seen a boom in on-line sales and social media engagement and so, can any business afford not to have these form part of their current marketing strategy and plans?
Let’s start with one simple fact: your business needs a social media presence! A bold statement I agree, but social media is a very cost-effective form of advertisement that allows you to directly engage with customers, promote your brand and demonstrate your excellence and expertise within your field. It doesn’t matter if you run a small local fabricator / installation business or a big national company, social media should be an essential piece of your business marketing strategy.
Social media platforms help you connect with your customers, increase awareness about your brand and boost your sales leads and sales. With more than three billion people around the world now using social media, it’s no passing trend with Facebook, YouTube and Instagram leading the way for users.
What you might not know is that you’re ready to get your company’s social media off the ground right now. You don’t need to know every intimidating buzzword or have the magic number of followers. In fact, you can get started immediately and even enjoy yourself in the process! If people don’t know about your business, they can’t become your customers. Social media boosts your visibility among potential customers, letting you reach a wide audience and it’s free to create a business profile on all major social media platforms.
With customers becoming increasingly savvier and more discerning about businesses they support, customers are now more likely to do a quick search to browse your website and social media platforms before making a decision. It’s at this point where your have that opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, services and brand to the shrewd customer.
There are a host of social media platforms out there and each one has its own unique way of engagement. Showing your latest projects and transformations, quirky videos of products or simple hints and tips, demonstrate knowledge, skills and services and encourage engagement through your posts. You can get a lot of value for your money with social media as most are free. You can pay for demographic and geographic advertising to target a particular audience, but there are plenty of opportunities for you to grow your social media presence organically by posting engaging content and offering incentives to share, like or follow.
I recently had a conversation with one of our local customers and they were saying that their engagement on their Facebook page had increased by over 1000% over the last couple of months and that a host of leads and eventual sales were coming in on the back of just a few simple posts demonstrating ‘before and after’ shots of recently completed installations. This was a customer who had previously not really engaged with or used social media as a form of advertising prior to the lockdown, but with the restrictions in place they utilised the platform as a way of increasing awareness of their products, services and skills and more importantly that they were operating in some capacity.
Since I had that initial conversation it has been a similar story with many customers and so, on the back of this, I started on creating and introducing a brand new 16 page Marketing Support brochure, which incidentally has 4 pages dedicated to having a social media presence. Enclosed is a guide on promoting your business on social media and a series of do’s and don’ts for social media management and how Selecta can assist those who are unsure where to start.
The new Marketing Support brochure also provides you with a comprehensive insight into our range of marketing support materials and services, from brochures and point of sale materials to our free to use graphic design service. We pride ourselves on providing a personal and unrivalled service and support package and the brochure endorses this.
As for social media, it’s a great source of marketing and customer engagement if done right. It’s a chance to show your personality too, so don’t be afraid to add humour, but make sure it’s in good taste. Social media can be your company voice, just as your website is your shop window. Let people hear and see what you can do. Show off your products, services and skills. Develop your reputation as a responsive, caring brand by offering support through social channels. Reach out to your customers. There are plenty of customers out there waiting to hear from you.
