Social Media Marketing Pros Compiled

Earlier the question was Should we do social media marketing" Now the question is what platform is suitable for social media marketing. SMM works best when combined with offsite marketing and helps cut down offsite marketing costs by continuing with the hype created by the offsite initiative online.

Compiled below is a list of social media marketing pros. Once you have them in a single place it is easier to chalk out your social media objective. Once the objective is clear you can easily choose the right SMM platform for your business.

Pros:

• You can learn how to improve your products and services. By encouraging open communication through public comments, you can learn what you can do to make your products and pitch more palatable.
• You can build brand loyalty. Not only can you use social media to build your brand, you can use it to demonstrate your personality, interact with customers and show them that you care, which, in turn, breeds loyalty. Social media marketing can also boost your reputation and build relationships.
• You can reach customers that traditional marketing misses. You never know who will direct a friend to your blog, Facebook page or social bookmark post, so your potential for reeling in new leads is unlimited.
• You can learn more about your target audience, not only by their comments but also by studying visitor analytics.
• Relationship building. The one-to-one dialogue you can have in social media makes it a powerful platform for building a closer affinity with customers and brand loyalty.
• Its where your customers are. Facebook isnt merely a domain filled with teenagers and 20 year olds. It now attracts all demographics and ages. In fact, Facebooks fastest growing segment is the over 55s, making it optimal for your business.
• Word of mouth/ viral marketing. Social media can spread your offers and messages amongst 1000s of people very quickly. And the best part is that its your customers spreading them for you.
• Give your brand personality. Posting messages everyday can develop peoples perception of your brands personality very quickly through your writing style and tone of voice.
• Learn more about customers. By listening and participating in their online conversations you can find out more about your customers problems, likes and dislikes and preferences.
• Low cost of entry. Creating profiles and pages on Facebook and Twitter is quick, easy and free to do, although advertising directly on these sites requires money.
• Customer service. People don't rely on email and the phone to get their questions answered anymore. They're now posting messages in blogs and forums to get them resolved. Engaging with social media enables you to respond to the evolving nature of customer service, and improve loyalty as a result. But keeping up with customers is vital.
• Crisis marketing. When something goes wrong, your customers want to know how you're going to put it right. Many arent going to wait for a press release or newspaper article before they start forming a negative opinion about your lethargic response. Twitter can be used to get your apologies out fast, and enable you to answer concerned customers questions.