Although social media marketing has been around for a number of years, it remains a marketing channel that brings with it a certain amount of confusion as to the best way to reach one's target audience and use this channel to drive business. Many clients still struggle with the GMOOT (get me one of those) syndrome; get me a plan with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram without really knowing that it will enable them to reach their most important consumers.
These days, social media users tend to suffer from information overload and therefore have a hard time focusing on anything for very long. Between personal updates and catching up with other people's news, advertising can take the role of 'background noise'.
It is very important for people who are marketing a brand to ask themselves three key questions before they head out into the world of social media.
1. Is your social media strategy adequately targeted? One of the benefits of digital advertising has always been perceived to be the greater ability to reach a specific audience vs. a mass market media channel like television. However, although social media platforms like Facebook do offer a way to reach specific audiences, you have to make sure that you are selective in its use and don't try to spread your net too wide. Apparently, 81% of all small and medium sized businesses now have a social media presence https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/amazing-social-media-statistics-and-facts/ - that's a lot of competition.
2. Is your brand positioning and identity clear and well-differentiated? Does your audience know what you stand for? In a cluttered environment like social media it is important that every time consumers see advertising from you, they can tell its your brand the moment they set eyes on it and can relate to the meaning of your brand. The whole concept of brand identity and positioning, which can take a while to develop, are almost seen as passé these days in the face of the instant tweet. In reality, they are more important than ever because consumers want to relate to your brand beyond your last Facebook post. In fact, a study from Havas Research found that brands that are meaningful to their audiences, outperform other brands by 206%. https://bit.ly/2DqK2fq
3. Have you taken the time to refine your social media strategy and make sure it is multi-channel before you put your brand and your budget out there? Focusing exclusively on the 'big boys' of social media can seem very attractive and they work hard to convince marketers that they don't need to look any further. However, people who are constantly on sites like Facebook and Instagram, aren't always very focused and in a receptive state of mind for absorbing your message. Taking the time to test and refine your strategy can reap big rewards.