Social Media Marketing: A New Era of the Burgeoning Online Business Industry
You need new and nifty ways to connect with your customers and prospects. Social media is currently a very powerful tool for reaching the masses. One widely used method is influencer advertising. If you think it won’t work, look at the thousands of companies that are succeeding with it. All organizations and companies are now connected through social networks.
Having owned physical therapy clinics in the past, I wish I had known social media marketing strategies as I have them now. Looking back at what was accomplished with conventional marketing, (advertising in local newspapers, radio, bringing lunch to doctors, distributing brochures and business cards, etc.) I would have enhanced my private practice with this powerful tool. Being a business owner opened my mind to self-sufficiency and always looking for better ways to position myself towards my lifestyle goals.
WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING?
The best advertising method of all time is word of mouth. It costs nothing for someone to tell someone else about your products or services. Another advantage of word of mouth marketing is that it keeps you on your toes. You must ensure customer satisfaction so that they can recommend your company to others. Influencer marketing follows the line of a friend telling a friend about an experience with a product or service.
First, you start by identifying strategic people within your target market. These people are going to influence others. The idea is unpretentious – instead of Taco Bell telling you how amazing their new Taco is, a spectacular review from a famous food critic can do more. The food critic is the influencer. In this hypothetical scenario, Taco Bell uses them to generate influencer marketing.
HOW TO RUN INFLUENCER ADVERTISING BEAUTIFULLY
An example of influencer marketing is a company called Fab Fit Fun. This company sends monthly box subscriptions to those who love their products. Now, you never know what’s in these boxes. It can be anything from a scarf to a blanket, and even some makeup and perfume. Many people are wary of monthly subscriptions that are charged directly to their monthly credit cards. These boxes are shipped automatically whether you want them or not. So how does this company overcome this hurdle? Well, they get celebrities like Rhianna and Tori Spelling to advertise them as influencers. A simple video of Tori Spelling opening her box subscription, enthusiastically reviewing each item, and then sharing it on her social network made this subscription system a success.
Another company came up with an idea. The cosmetics company Younique came up with a product, a mascara that gave a dramatic effect to the eyes. Now, there are more companies that have the same product. How did they step up their game? Their Moodstruck 3-D fiber lashes look great on just about anyone.
To prove their point, they gave out free mascara tubes to the general public. All these recipients had to do was post a video of themselves on social media wearing the mask. What happened next was history. The company had so many orders that they were pending for six weeks. All women wanted to increase the volume of their lashes. By showing how well this mascara works, the company created quite a stir. The demand was overwhelming.
Now, I kind of was all girl here. Masks and Fab Fit Fun. However, these are just a few of the many creative ways companies conjure up to bring their product to market. What made your strategy work?
It was providing VALUE. By providing more value than the other companies and being commented on on social media, it gave them an edge over their competitors.
THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
We have heard of ordinary people posting simple and funny videos on You Tube, Facebook, Pinterest, on Instagram, which go viral simply by being shared multiple times on all social networks. This just proves that people are watching. They are hanging out on social media. They see products, events and share it in their social media circles. This is very powerful.
It’s no wonder that for the past few years, big online retailers like Amazon, Wayfair, and the rest have used social media advertising. Even physical companies like Best Buy, Target, Walmart, have connected to the Internet to expand their market. It is sad to contemplate that it is also due to this age of online advertising that many companies have to close their doors. The competition has turned raging. Those who do not step forward lose. The most recent closure, as you may have heard, is Hhgregg.
FIND A KEY PLAYER
What if you can be the influencer in your online business? Yes, you can be the key player in this success. Yes, it is more than possible. This is how many online entrepreneurs have positioned themselves as experts, trainers, and founders of online business systems who have created wealth for themselves and others they have mentored.
How many times do you see “sponsored” ads for webinars, free ebooks, free courses, free videos, or free reports on your Facebook page? This is the power of social media at work.
The new era is here. An average entrepreneur can leverage their advertising budget by effectively using social media to their advantage. This is because customers hang out on social media. This is a very effective way to reach potential customers and present your product or service.
Also, if your ad also has added value, the customer response is overwhelming. It goes beyond what others offer. This has been proven many times by local companies offering products and services. A free teeth cleaning coupon from a dentist can end in sales of 4-5k in orthodontics or other dental services due to the one free offer.
Online trainers and online business experts offering free webinars are known to earn thousands of dollars from memberships or purchases made by participants in a single webinar. I sure have attended a few of them, and while I never actually bought a product or system initially, it had opened my eyes to the possibilities. There are ways to earn income online and work towards passive and residual income.
Whether your goal is simply to earn additional income to supplement your current one or to turn it into a full-time occupation, there are a multitude of systems and programs that you can get started with online. Many have immersed themselves in online business full time and never looked back.
The key is to find your niche, find what suits you and is right for you. Explore your passion, your talents, and your goals. Then act on it. That first step is always the hardest.
The most successful online entrepreneurs don’t just “get involved” in their businesses; they also “live” it.
After all, it’s up to us to explore all the possibilities and seize the opportunities that come our way. With the start of the evolution of social media marketing, the future of digital marketing is here.