Social media brand marketing strategies from Edan Gelt right now: TripAdvisor is great for brick and mortar physical locations as a way to attract tourists or local community members looking for places to visit. This is a great platform for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues. SlideShare is a strong option for business to business marketing and offers the opportunity to embed your YouTube video in your SlideShare deck. Vimeo is similar to YouTube in platform but also differs in that it is more creatively focused and often features higher caliber videos. This is a great place to engage with other creatives or business professionals that focus on video content. Find even more info at Eden Gelt.
Word of Mouth Marketing: Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools. This is successful when people spontaneously talk about your product, service or brand. There is no better way to do this then with the power of free. Happy users or customers are more likely to sing a company’s praises and refer their friends and family. When people tell others about your product they are referring new customers, free of charge your way. When you reach potential new customers with your free sample they are likely to talk about it with their friends, family and coworkers. These conversations are where your product will gain reputability.
So how do you use reciprocity to increase business? Service Business: Offer free advice and consultations. Lawyers can answer pertinent questions, realtors can provide a free staging appointment, medical professionals can offer a free assessment, a salon can offer a free bang trim, etc. Brick and Mortar Restaurants or Retail: Offer something to get people out of their door and into your store! A free small gift just for stopping in, a no purchase necessary gift card for dining, a free appetizer, or even a free experience. Recently, I received an offer from Gillette for a FREE Venus razor – titled “For Your Daughter.” That’s a $15 value, of course that made me get out of the house and go to the store, and we far outspent the value of the razor. Then there are free Slurpees at 711, Free Coffee Days at Starbucks and the list goes on.
When posting, make sure to take advantage of the hashtags (Instagram allows for a maximum of 30 and I recommend you use each one to create a wider reach on your post) but each hashtag must be relevant to your brand and niche so it lands with the correct audience. Each social media post should always have a call to action, regardless of what platform you are using. This means you should ask your audience to share, comment or vote. The more engagement a post has the more likely the platform’s algorithm will kick in and allow you to gain a wider reach to new audiences with similar interests. Discover more details on Eden 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.).
Consumers and business leaders are suffering from unprecedented stress and uncertainties. With the lockdowns and restrictions coming and going and economic uncertainty hanging over everything. In this climate, brands are having to be more sensitive in their communication strategies. The last thing anyone wants to see right now is an advertisement full of smiling revelers having the holiday of a lifetime. While the rest of us are stuck at home worrying about our health, jobs and when we will get to see families and friends next.
Engage: It is no longer enough to just have a social media page and presence; you need to jump into your customers’ conversations and understand what they value and give it to them. Create a concise social media strategy and curate your content, including company updates and trends, to maximize engagement on your platforms to establish yourself as an industry leader. Use specific hashtags and maybe even develop your own hashtag to group your content and make it easier for people to find.
Creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing is the first and most important step to local search success. GMB offers the strongest brand impact for businesses or individuals seeking exposure locally. In fact, approximately 90% of organic searches come from Google and it complements a brand’s existing website, shows in search results and maps, and communicates with third-party platforms using Google Maps API. You need to either create a listing or ensure you have a Google business page setup. If your business is established (usually founded several years ago), it’s likely Google already has a GMB listing and you just need to claim it. Ensure your listing clearly includes what your business does, where it is, and how consumers can quickly and efficiently acquire the goods and/or services you offer. See extra information 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.