RHEN: What’s up Fish Fans! This is Marcus, I’m Rhen, and you’re watching Marketing Madness: the Blue Fish weekly vlog! Each episode, our aim is to bring you guys pure marketing value. During our day to day at Blue Fish, we find that our clients have questions, or don't understand certain things in the marketing and advertising space. So we do our best to address these common questions here.
MARCUS: That’s right and this week we are going to give you 4-easy ways to help increase your engagement on social. Brands should be always thinking, “How can we take our game to the next level and create a standout digital experience?” Social is at the heart of the customer experience these day, and there are some key things you should keep in mind.
RHEN: We have officially entered an age where social media has matured. But the question is… Has your brand matured along with it? I bet not. In fact our research and case studies show that a vast majority of brands use social media as platform to broadcast to fans, not engage with them. What’s wrong with that you might ask? Well, i’d have to say that’s one way to do it… I guess. However, in our opinion social media is a two way street. Open for massive amounts of conversations and engagement. So, if your brand of company is still missing the mark and not building a community on social media do not fret. We got your back. Check out these four simple tips to get you on the right Track.
MARCUS:
Tip #1, Pay attention to your fans. Everyone always says that social media is a place where brands can listen to their fans, while absorbing the perception of the community. We think you need to do more that listen. You need to get out there and create conversations around your space. Listening is great, but that is only half of what makes up a “conversations”. Stop treating social media as a reactive platform. Be proactive on social media at all times. When someone engages directly or indirectly make sure they get some kind of attention. Rhen and Bradley Flowers are HUGE Gary Vee Fans. You should be how they act when he comments or likes on of their posts. Just a simple like by his brand increases their brand loyalty 10-fold. You may not experience this level of celebrity, but you have to start somewhere.
RHEN:
Tip #2, Engage everywhere. We see a lot of brands that have good habits on some platforms but not others. It is important to remember that you have fans on all social sites. Be just as active on Instagram as you are on Facebook. Most people tend to lean on one platform or another. So you could have loyal fans eager to engage over on Snapchat, all while you are only giving attention to Facebook. Don’t think well spreading my time out decreases my productivity. Create a process for engaging and promoting your brand each day. Time block out slots in your day to go on different platforms and create conversations.
MARCUS: Tips #3, Accelerating brand awareness. With paid traditional media we learned the value in the ad spend. Social, on the other hand, has fewer rules, but we feel allows more opportunity. Brands are able to reach consumers in a variety of different ways: paid, earned, owned and shared content. In reality, there is no magic method to reaching and engaging on social. Different people will have to be reached in different ways. Understanding human nature, habit, and tendencies will help your efforts. Take a multichannel approach and make sure they engage with customers on the channel they prefer. More importantly, be clear on who your audience is and what will engage them. You should understand what they expect and then create content around those expectations. This increases engagement and brand loyalty. Ever heard the saying, “give the people what they want?” Well here is your chance.
RHEN: Tip #4, Cross promote. Cross promotion can be the it factor when executed correctly. When big brands partner with complimenting brands, or celebrity figures magic can happen. So we get it, you are not a big brand, nor do you have the money to hire a personality. That is ok…. Let’s get creative. Let’s say you are a local golf cart shop… Think about your carts, they have to be painted…. Go promote your body shop that does your paint work. This will create a buzz in your community and also engage fans of both companies with new and interesting content if published correctly. Another great example is where two local, rival insurance salespeople had a contest on fb to see who could sell the most life policies in a month. Who would have thought competitors would be working together. We it's working well and they have sold more policies this month that ever before.
MARCUS: Our goals as marketers is this: the acquisition of new customers, service the current customers, and grow the fan base. Social media can help you achieve these goals. Unlocking the inner beast is ultimately up to you. Never before have we had the freedom to create and explore what works or not. Never has there been a time where small businesses can stand up and shout just as loud as large corporations, with proper planning and some creative insight. So Rhen and I implore you to make some noise, be strategical, and take advantage of this gift from marketing heaven, that is social media.
RHEN: That’s a wrap for this week Fish Fans. Thank you for your attention. If you have any questions or comments please hit us up in the comments or in a direct message.
MARCUS: If you are on Facebook give us a like and a share, tag someone that could benefit from this content. If you are watching on YouTube please subscribe to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from your pals at Blue Fish.