What an awesome article! This article highlights several key considerations when developing and implementing a social media campaign:
- Branding is "knowing people and relating to them." It is important to communicate how your company is unique and can fill a customer's unmet need.
- "Results require strategy." Posting blindly does not guarantee a wider fan base or the generation of income. A well-thought out plan is crucial.
-Social media is about dialogue, business-to-customer, customer-to business, and customer-customer. Unlike selling an ad in the newspaper or putting one on TV, businesses who engage in social media have the opportunity to respond directly and immediately with feedback. People crave human connections and to be listened to, and businesses who want to be successful should capitalize on this.
Bottom line, social media is a great way for businesses and customers to get to know each other. It does require a financial and time commitment, but the pay-offs of a well thought out campaign are worth it. The gas station is an excellent example of how a social media platform can be helpful to the business owner and the customers.
I felt that in order to be successful in social media, we need to know how to market our product very uniquely, so much so that people would want to follow us on the social media and would want to look forward to the post and most importantly will make a purchase. I wonder if Mendez, who made the craft beer uses any of the social media advertisement to increase the traffic or just solely word of mouth.
I felt that in order to be successful in social media, we need to know how to market our product very uniquely, so much so that people would want to follow us on the social media and would want to look forward to the post and most importantly will make a purchase. I wonder if Mendez, who made the craft beer uses any of the social media advertisement to increase the traffic or just solely word of mouth.
i feel social media sites are a great way to create a image about a company since so many people search products and do research. but i don't think its a great way to sell products or to become noticed, unless the customer is already aware of the company. because there is no way for a customer to randomly find a company on a social media site.
i feel social media sites are a great way to create a image about a company since so many people search products and do research. but i don't think its a great way to sell products or to become noticed, unless the customer is already aware of the company. because there is no way for a customer to randomly find a company on a social media site.
Social media in a small buisness environment is becoming more and more of a priority. It can be used as a tool to brand or even differentiate the product and business. But, with all of the advantages there are also a onslaught of people who are less inclined to view your product as unique and spectacular. Therefore with all the ups the damage control for a mistake made becomes extremely difficult. Be strategic and precise with the social marketing campaign, most of all be aware of the speed of information.
I think the very first section about posting pictures on twitter of new products is a great idea! It gets out the new products to your already existing customer base, while giving those customers the option to retweet the picture to others. This strategy can get out information quickly, and doesn't cost a cent. Small business comebacks are a very popular thing right now. Everyone wants to support their small, local businesses and going to twitter to brag about your favorite local hole in the wall bar or retail shop is very common. Having a strong presence on social media platforms is essential for small businesses do not have deep pocketed marketing departments. The article says that 85% of shoppers are using online outlets to get their shopping done, which is completely believable considering nearly everyone I know buys almost everything but groceries online. With such a high customer base logging on to get their shopping done, like the article said, it would be irresponsible to not make your online presence known. I know from personal experience one of my favorite local restaurants in my hometown used twitter and facebook extensively to promote and make connections with customers. Every tuesday they would tweet reminders about their taco tuesday deals. Weekly they would tweet QR codes that could be redeemed at the register for a discount, differing every week. These types of connections you can make with customers are hard to get outside of the social media platform.
Social media today is like websites were 15 years ago--business know they need a presence, but don't always understand how best to capitalize on the channel. This is a great example of a business doing it right--providing engaging material that is strategically linked to growing the business.
This is a great article! And the timing of it for me is on point because this morning when I was at work, I couldn't help but to think about how the small business I work at doesn't seem to take advantage of social media. They have a Facebook, but I have definitely seen a lack of posts on their part. They post occasionally, but I believe they have passed up the opportunity to post about some recent events and changes in the business that I would have broadcasted if I was in charge. It is a free way to market new products and overall "better boost their brand with customers," like the article stated. One component of the article I found interesting is the way that the author discussed how the customer demographic a company is targeting can help them decide which social media site would be best for them to use. The following quote is what grabbed my attention: "That demographic dictates where and how a business positions itself online. For example, the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest, he said."
I bought a smartphone last year and the use of Instagram has connected me to companies I would have not known of otherwise. I feel like the companies I have started following on instagram know who they are targeting and know what their customers like to see. With proper use of social media, companies can boost their brand and reach a greater audience. Lastly, I believe individuals are more likely to pay attention to posts made by the businesses they have "liked" on Facebook rather than those via paid advertisements.
I think this article hit it right on target! Any company that can "brand" themselves is almost guaranteed to have higher sales. The fact that this small business can promote itself through a social media is excellent. Not only do they save money on marketing but it is able to reach more customers. The fact that by posting a photo for a beer can bring in revenue in the afternoon shows the positive affect social media.
This article is excellent. Companies can build their brand and image through social media, quickly. I would not know half of the sites I shop at if it was not for the advertisement online. Just being able to post a picture and in seconds hundreds of people will see the photo is one of the best ways to brand yourself and promote your company.
Chelsea Brewer said.... This article is excellent. Companies can build their brand and image through social media, quickly. I would not know half of the sites I shop at if it was not for the advertisement online. Just being able to post a picture and in seconds hundreds of people will see the photo is one of the best ways to brand yourself and promote your company.
This article does a great job showing how times are changing and social media is becoming a great way to reach a ton of customers on a daily basis. Any business owner should expect to spend a ton of time and a little coin on advertising or offering promotions for it's followers. I always thought that it was a great way to reach a load of people but I've never actually read results. Also, I shows a target group of the younger and more social people of the general population.
It is hard to deny the advantages of social media networks for small businesses, as they look to growth revenues and their customer base. A point made in this article that I liked was the fact that not every individual is a potential consumer for your product. This underscores the importance of understanding your target market, and adapting your marketing strategy to more effectively reach and appeal to this audience.
As an aside, I would be curious to see some data on the financial affect that poorly managing social media presence has had on businesses.
Especially for small businesses, it is important to utilize any marketing tool that is available. Small businesses may not have the money to advertise on television, but by using social media, they are able to advertise their product for free. By using Twitter, these small businesses educate followers of their brand. And by doing so, existing followers can market the business to new customers by word of mouth. Based off the research done for our social media playbook, small businesses need to be aware and have knowledge of how to maximize the benefits of social media. From the article, the small businesses were successful in the timing of their Twitter posts. They did not overwhelm followers, but did just enough to educate followers of their company and product.
This was a very interesting article. Social media has provided smaller businesses an excellent opportunity to advertise for free. With increasing numbers of traffic through social media small businesses can really take advantage of getting the brand out there. If they really want to succeed with it, it is important for them to take full advantage. They can do this by coming up with a strategy that really grabs the attention of their target market, and by interacting frequently with customers they can quickly identify any changes in needs or wants the consumer may have. By taking full advantage of social media, every company has an opportunity to truly build their brand.
This is a great article. As an avid social media user, I realize how much of a useful tool it is to promote goods. I am basically on either Facebook or Twitter every hour of every day that I am awake. I love seeing what my friends are doing, or following my favorite people on Twitter. In the days of social media, if a company, or small store does not use at least one form of social media, they will not get ahead of the competition. The fact that this person already has a big following helps him immensely in selling his goods. It is harder for an up and coming company to generate much success on social media because they have to create a following of people. Once they do this, business will start booming.
I definitely believe that social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have tremendously helped in the promotions of small businesses, boutiques, and sole-props. Before you could make a webpage for your small business, it may have been a lot harder to get your name out there. Now you can make a Facebook page in a matter of minutes. It's free and you don't have to hire someone to do the work for you! You can do it yourself. It's very easy to advertise for all different types of businesses and brands now on social media.
I do believe that social media is a great way to promote, and advertise a product/products for an individual or a company as a whole. With that said, it is also a fast way to get criticism from others may it be positive or not. With easy promotion, it is just as easy to have someone post untrue and/or negative comments. If you or your company plans to use social media as a way to advertise then they are instantly assuming the responsibility of having to check and respond to post on a very regular basis. With that said I believe that social media is a great advertising opportunity if managed correctly. One it's free and two it can go virual with little work needed!
Posting new products or inventory to social media sites is an easy and convenient way to get your message out to consumers. Plus, it's free so nothing bad about that. Not to mention that most people spend excessive amounts of time on social media anyways so they are bound to see the ads you post. However, the first task is getting your customers to follow your social media sites so they'll see your ads. This may take some enticing, but worth the work in the end.
I wonder if there would be a leveling off point. What I mean, if the gas station owner is increasing his traffic through social media, that means he is attracting business away from other businesses. Those other businesses may increase their advertising through social media, which may lead to a marketing environment where social meadia marketing is essential, but it may not be a game changer. Another point I would like to make, the article mentioned that it might cost $3,000 to $20,000 to pay for a professional social media marketing plan. That seems like a lot of money for a local small business that has very, very small margins.
Small Business and Twitter work together perfectly. It gives these businesses an avenue of marketing and branding that the larger businesses seem to dominate. Sometimes those larger companies seem more robotic and I really related to the statement Michael Mendez said. “People want to know there is a human behind a business.” I think it is a smart move that he oversees all the online branding. Larger companies have whole teams that do this, and sometimes that personal appeal gets lost. It’s great that small business can great a good appearance in these social medias.
Small Business and Twitter work together perfectly. It gives these businesses an avenue of marketing and branding that the larger businesses seem to dominate. Sometimes those larger companies seem more robotic and I really related to the statement Michael Mendez said. “People want to know there is a human behind a business.” I think it is a smart move that he oversees all the online branding. Larger companies have whole teams that do this, and sometimes that personal appeal gets lost. It’s great that small business can great a good appearance in these social medias.
“Society has become more visual. Giving my followers the ability to see what we have readily available or ask me any questions directly gives my company a more personal feel.”
Marketing is hard, it takes time and effort. Online marketing creates an avenue to promote and receive instantaneous feedback. Instantaneous, like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The immediacy of feedback and quality of responses vary from channel to channel, but they all have great ways to cater to the visual consumer.
Today, "the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest", I am part of above described Red Bull Crowd, and I have never used Pinterest. This brings me to an important part of online marketing, and that is strategy.
Strategy requires research and flexibility, it requires initial benchmarks also. It is hard to set those benchmarks considering that not every business will benefit equally or to the same extent. Some see increased profit in tens and some in thousands of percent. The trick is to try different approaches and building and learining on how to promote using these online avenues.
Starting with a Facebook Page is a start, but everyday concent, such as news, products, events, have to be posted throughout the day. This is where developing a Twitter and Instagram following is essential. One thing is for sure, ask for feedback and you shall receive it. As mentioned in the article, online marketing creates a place of conversation, and disscussion, thus is a great way to build relationships, and to retain customers. Online marketing can also be a way to differentiante the market, filtering to achieve the clientele that a business wants.
Last night, Ellen Degeneres, the host of the Oscars, tweeted a photo with famous Hollywood stars, which led to a 4 million retweet and shut down Tweeter for a brief time. Time kind of publicity is amazing, considering that retweet has made history for the most retweeted tweet.
This is why the power of online marketing is so important, I reaches millions or just a few, by creating special #hashtags that allow users to follow and share the content.
The time invested in online marketing and its upkeep is not yet properly measured, but do not be discouraged. Go ahead, Tweet, Gram, Pin, or Post, for your business' sake.
“Society has become more visual. Giving my followers the ability to see what we have readily available or ask me any questions directly gives my company a more personal feel.”
Marketing is hard, it takes time and effort. Online marketing creates an avenue to promote and receive instantaneous feedback. Instantaneous, like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The immediacy of feedback and quality of responses vary from channel to channel, but they all have great ways to cater to the visual consumer.
Today, "the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest", I am part of above described Red Bull Crowd, and I have never used Pinterest. This brings me to an important part of online marketing, and that is strategy.
Strategy requires research and flexibility, it requires initial benchmarks also. It is hard to set those benchmarks considering that not every business will benefit equally or to the same extent. Some see increased profit in tens and some in thousands of percent. The trick is to try different approaches and building and learining on how to promote using these online avenues.
Starting with a Facebook Page is a start, but everyday concent, such as news, products, events, have to be posted throughout the day. This is where developing a Twitter and Instagram following is essential. One thing is for sure, ask for feedback and you shall receive it. As mentioned in the article, online marketing creates a place of conversation, and disscussion, thus is a great way to build relationships, and to retain customers. Online marketing can also be a way to differentiante the market, filtering to achieve the clientele that a business wants.
Last night, Ellen Degeneres, the host of the Oscars, tweeted a photo with famous Hollywood stars, which led to a 4 million retweet and shut down Tweeter for a brief time. Time kind of publicity is amazing, considering that retweet has made history for the most retweeted tweet.
This is why the power of online marketing is so important, I reaches millions or just a few, by creating special #hashtags that allow users to follow and share the content.
The time invested in online marketing and its upkeep is not yet properly measured, but do not be discouraged. Go ahead, Tweet, Gram, Pin, or Post, for your business' sake.
“Society has become more visual. Giving my followers the ability to see what we have readily available or ask me any questions directly gives my company a more personal feel.”
Marketing is hard, it takes time and effort. Online marketing creates an avenue to promote and receive instantaneous feedback. Instantaneous, like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The immediacy of feedback and quality of responses vary from channel to channel, but they all have great ways to cater to the visual consumer.
Today, "the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest", I am part of above described Red Bull Crowd, and I have never used Pinterest. This brings me to an important part of online marketing, and that is strategy.
Strategy requires research and flexibility, it requires initial benchmarks also. It is hard to set those benchmarks considering that not every business will benefit equally or to the same extent. Some see increased profit in tens and some in thousands of percent. The trick is to try different approaches and building and learining on how to promote using these online avenues.
Starting with a Facebook Page is a start, but everyday concent, such as news, products, events, have to be posted throughout the day. This is where developing a Twitter and Instagram following is essential. One thing is for sure, ask for feedback and you shall receive it. As mentioned in the article, online marketing creates a place of conversation, and disscussion, thus is a great way to build relationships, and to retain customers. Online marketing can also be a way to differentiante the market, filtering to achieve the clientele that a business wants.
Last night, Ellen Degeneres, the host of the Oscars, tweeted a photo with famous Hollywood stars, which led to a 4 million retweet and shut down Tweeter for a brief time. Time kind of publicity is amazing, considering that retweet has made history for the most retweeted tweet.
This is why the power of online marketing is so important, I reaches millions or just a few, by creating special #hashtags that allow users to follow and share the content.
The time invested in online marketing and its upkeep is not yet properly measured, but do not be discouraged. Go ahead, Tweet, Gram, Pin, or Post, for your business' sake.
I thought Mendez's comment about people appreciating knowing there is a human being behind a business was a great point. However, I think there is more to it than a business owner personally writing tweets or making posts. Often, businesses claim that the owner is the one behind the social network, but I find myself wondering if it is true. If I go into the business and see the owner, though, I feel a connection with the social media I've seen, the physical location, and the owner who really does exist. Mendez had a great point, but I think it's also important to recognize that owners and managers should make their physical presence in a store/restaurant/office known so that customers have reassurance of that person's presence.
I thought this was a great article that covered many aspects of how small businesses can effectively utilize social media. One aspect of the article that surprised me is that consumers are most likely to follow a company on Facebook or Twitter after they’ve already made a purchase from that company. In my personal scenario, I almost always follow a company before I make a purchase from them. I do this to ensure that I am supporting a company with values similar to mine. I also enjoy seeing how they handle customer interactions. These can turn me on or off to a company and is what I base my purchase decisions on. I like how Carlos Garcia suggests that individual business owners start out doing all social media marketing themselves. I love this concept, and it’s one that I see often as a consumer of the boutique cigar industry. I really respect business owners who actually take the time to build relationships with their customers and end up supporting these businesses because of that aspect. Eventually, it will be hard for a business owner to manage all social media accounts, which might require a team to handle social media and technology changes.
Is this really a newsworthy article? To be honest, I don't think its news to anyone that social media is a necessity in today's business environment. I think it's great that small businesses are using social media to their advantage and increasing their sales and profit, but they would be acting to their own disadvantage if they didn't. I agree with the article that firms will need to develop more comprehensive strategies to manage their social marketing. As more and more people catch on, the bar will be raised and expertise will be expected. I think the article stated a lot of obvious points about marketing and advertising in general, but good attempt by the author and publisher.
It is extremely vital for small businesses to strongly engage in marketing. They are beginning a business where not many people know of them. So they have to do everything in their power to get the word out about their business. What are people doing with their time nowadays? They are on social media. If you have social media accounts where you can connect with people and remind them of your products and what you can do for them, that will definitely strengthen your business. You have to keep posting and reminding people of your business and what you offer. When they can remember it, either they will shop there or refer a friend to shop there. Being on social media also sends a message to potential customers that you are a modern business and care about promoting yourself and connecting with the community.
It's very important for small businesses to become involved with social media marketing. It is extremely stupid for them to not. Social media is so popular now a days. From the reading we learned 85 percent of buyers go online to research purchases, that means that these small companies could really be profitable if they invest in social marketing ideas. Certain buyers are interested in different social media sites. It's important to due research and learn who is interested in what and how to market to them.
Social media has made this kind of thinking both possible and acceptable. It will be interesting to see if the customers' perceptions of a product ever conflict with the "brand makers" employed by a company. The customer is right only if they help you make money and promote your brand.
I think there will also be an increase in DIY marketers, since evolving technology means more people can educate themselves and use technology productively. Its far easier to build your own website and keep track of your business's books using proprietary software than it was 3 decades ago, when this technology was esoteric. Social media marketers are cashing in on the demand now, but a real groundswell of organic talent might invade their space a bit in the future.
The article talks about something that was the point of one of my study group discussion this week. We mostly talk about marketing in sports, so we were comparing social media (Facebook, Twitter, whatsAp)to TV ads. Social media has being used more by giant clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, or NFL teams to promote their new MKT campaigns than TV ads. Social media has a quicker and more personal impact on people than any other way of advertising.
I like the article because it reminds me of how powerful social medias are for small businesses. Today Twitter is an information tool that many business use. Why? Because it's pretty much free advertisment for your company. The use of hastags helps alot on twitter because people can easily find what product you are advertising.
I like the article because it reminds me of how powerful social medias are for small businesses. Today Twitter is an information tool that many business use. Why? Because it's pretty much free advertisment for your company. The use of hastags helps alot on twitter because people can easily find what product you are advertising.
I like this article beacuse it reminds me of when i first sign up for twitter. I was able to track all my favorite products, when they drop and sales. Twitter is, like Facebook, a powerful tool for small business because it is pretty much fre advertisment and since many people are suscribed to twitter, they can track what you are selling. The use of hastag is also important in a way that people can find out about your products easily.
This article presents a creative way for any small business to advertise on Twitter and Facebook. I wouldn't typically thing of a local gas station being able to create a buzz on social media but they have recognized what their customers want and have found a creative way through social media to provide information to their customers.
I find this article interesting because I am a Realtor who utilizes social media websites to help with my business. It's a great way to stimulate interest, get word out to your sphere of influence about your services, and a way to sort of build that an informal relationship with posts that include humor, stunning views, unique home features, etc. Obviously, if you are running a business in 2014 and don't have a presence on social media, you need to get with the program. The costs are minimal, mostly time more than anything, and the impact can be huge
I think social media can be very helpful for getting the word out about products in small businesses. The key is to have a significant following, which can be difficult at first but once the word is out, can increase exponentially. People are very connected to social media but they don't want to follow a company that doesn't offer them anything interesting on their feed, so if one offers an incentive to follow them (ie posting new products with limited availability, sales, specials, etc) it can really help increase a company's following.
This is a great article. I enjoyed that Mendez is able to make his convenience stores a destination location when, traditionally, convenient stores try to increase revenue on the impluse buy. We are in a time when consumers look for advice and recommendations on the internet. "At a time when 85 percent of buyers go online to research purchases..." Small businesses can build a brand and connect with consumers through social media. Their brand shows its own personality while interacting with followers and fans. It is definitely true that if a business is ignoring social media marketing then they will be passed by the competition that is utilizing this powerful form of marketing.
Social media is a great way for small businesses to get their name out to the public. There are now so many stories on how a small business grew because of using social media effectively. On the other hand, social media can be used to destroy a business. Using social media correctly can really increase business.
After reading all these articles about social media and businesses, it made me wonder why social media has been as successful as it has been. I think it comes down to a couple of reasons. One reason is, as consumers, we enjoy the fact that we can follow or like a businesses page and can keep up with what they are doing. It makes us feel connected to that business. Secondly, I think there is just something about a twitter or Facebook post that seems more personal and thought out than some advertisement that is run everywhere on TV and the internet. In a world where everyone is trying to sell you something and advertisements are everywhere you turn, it's nice to be able to get on your page and see the businesses you want to see and a personal post from them.
I think social media is a good way to publicize a small business. If the company knows how to market well using social media than i think that it could bring a lot of attention to their small business. On the other hand it can be a fail. Sometimes small businesses lack in trying to sell their product over social media. The key to being successful as a small business over a social media is knowing how to market and target the key customers your trying to attract.
This article shows how important social media is in marketing. When people "like" a business on social media then their posts will show up more frequently on a persons news feed. It is crutial for businesses to market heavily through social media do to the high traffic volumes of viewers. A business can post something on social media and have millions of viewers within a day.
This article is full of good tips for small businesses. I am an entrepreneurship major and am on the founding team of a small company. I bookmarked this page and plan to use some of the principals this summer to help boost our online sales. The SIGNARAMA owner who would post finished jobs with a link to the person or company the sign was for was smart, by creating as many links as possible it increases the visibility of SIGNARAMA to customers. Additionally, testing becomes very important and is mentioned in the article. Testing the type of social media and the message and documenting what people like and respond to the most is key. I really like this article for that reason. It does not tell you what to do and expect it to work, it explains that every business is different and therefore one strategy will not work for all of them, but rather it gives you the tools and ideas to discover what works best for you and your company.
49 comments:
What an awesome article! This article highlights several key considerations when developing and implementing a social media campaign:
- Branding is "knowing people and relating to them." It is important to communicate how your company is unique and can fill a customer's unmet need.
- "Results require strategy." Posting blindly does not guarantee a wider fan base or the generation of income. A well-thought out plan is crucial.
-Social media is about dialogue, business-to-customer, customer-to business, and customer-customer. Unlike selling an ad in the newspaper or putting one on TV, businesses who engage in social media have the opportunity to respond directly and immediately with feedback. People crave human connections and to be listened to, and businesses who want to be successful should capitalize on this.
Bottom line, social media is a great way for businesses and customers to get to know each other. It does require a financial and time commitment, but the pay-offs of a well thought out campaign are worth it. The gas station is an excellent example of how a social media platform can be helpful to the business owner and the customers.
I felt that in order to be successful in social media, we need to know how to market our product very uniquely, so much so that people would want to follow us on the social media and would want to look forward to the post and most importantly will make a purchase. I wonder if Mendez, who made the craft beer uses any of the social media advertisement to increase the traffic or just solely word of mouth.
I felt that in order to be successful in social media, we need to know how to market our product very uniquely, so much so that people would want to follow us on the social media and would want to look forward to the post and most importantly will make a purchase. I wonder if Mendez, who made the craft beer uses any of the social media advertisement to increase the traffic or just solely word of mouth.
i feel social media sites are a great way to create a image about a company since so many people search products and do research. but i don't think its a great way to sell products or to become noticed, unless the customer is already aware of the company. because there is no way for a customer to randomly find a company on a social media site.
i feel social media sites are a great way to create a image about a company since so many people search products and do research. but i don't think its a great way to sell products or to become noticed, unless the customer is already aware of the company. because there is no way for a customer to randomly find a company on a social media site.
Social media in a small buisness environment is becoming more and more of a priority. It can be used as a tool to brand or even differentiate the product and business. But, with all of the advantages there are also a onslaught of people who are less inclined to view your product as unique and spectacular. Therefore with all the ups the damage control for a mistake made becomes extremely difficult. Be strategic and precise with the social marketing campaign, most of all be aware of the speed of information.
I think the very first section about posting pictures on twitter of new products is a great idea! It gets out the new products to your already existing customer base, while giving those customers the option to retweet the picture to others. This strategy can get out information quickly, and doesn't cost a cent. Small business comebacks are a very popular thing right now. Everyone wants to support their small, local businesses and going to twitter to brag about your favorite local hole in the wall bar or retail shop is very common. Having a strong presence on social media platforms is essential for small businesses do not have deep pocketed marketing departments. The article says that 85% of shoppers are using online outlets to get their shopping done, which is completely believable considering nearly everyone I know buys almost everything but groceries online. With such a high customer base logging on to get their shopping done, like the article said, it would be irresponsible to not make your online presence known. I know from personal experience one of my favorite local restaurants in my hometown used twitter and facebook extensively to promote and make connections with customers. Every tuesday they would tweet reminders about their taco tuesday deals. Weekly they would tweet QR codes that could be redeemed at the register for a discount, differing every week. These types of connections you can make with customers are hard to get outside of the social media platform.
Social media today is like websites were 15 years ago--business know they need a presence, but don't always understand how best to capitalize on the channel. This is a great example of a business doing it right--providing engaging material that is strategically linked to growing the business.
This is a great article! And the timing of it for me is on point because this morning when I was at work, I couldn't help but to think about how the small business I work at doesn't seem to take advantage of social media. They have a Facebook, but I have definitely seen a lack of posts on their part. They post occasionally, but I believe they have passed up the opportunity to post about some recent events and changes in the business that I would have broadcasted if I was in charge. It is a free way to market new products and overall "better boost their brand with customers," like the article stated.
One component of the article I found interesting is the way that the author discussed how the customer demographic a company is targeting can help them decide which social media site would be best for them to use. The following quote is what grabbed my attention:
"That demographic dictates where and how a business positions itself online. For example, the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest, he said."
I bought a smartphone last year and the use of Instagram has connected me to companies I would have not known of otherwise. I feel like the companies I have started following on instagram know who they are targeting and know what their customers like to see. With proper use of social media, companies can boost their brand and reach a greater audience. Lastly, I believe individuals are more likely to pay attention to posts made by the businesses they have "liked" on Facebook rather than those via paid advertisements.
I think this article hit it right on target! Any company that can "brand" themselves is almost guaranteed to have higher sales. The fact that this small business can promote itself through a social media is excellent. Not only do they save money on marketing but it is able to reach more customers. The fact that by posting a photo for a beer can bring in revenue in the afternoon shows the positive affect social media.
Chelsea Brewer said....
This article is excellent. Companies can build their brand and image through social media, quickly. I would not know half of the sites I shop at if it was not for the advertisement online. Just being able to post a picture and in seconds hundreds of people will see the photo is one of the best ways to brand yourself and promote your company.
Chelsea Brewer said....
This article is excellent. Companies can build their brand and image through social media, quickly. I would not know half of the sites I shop at if it was not for the advertisement online. Just being able to post a picture and in seconds hundreds of people will see the photo is one of the best ways to brand yourself and promote your company.
This article does a great job showing how times are changing and social media is becoming a great way to reach a ton of customers on a daily basis. Any business owner should expect to spend a ton of time and a little coin on advertising or offering promotions for it's followers. I always thought that it was a great way to reach a load of people but I've never actually read results. Also, I shows a target group of the younger and more social people of the general population.
Grant Perkins
It is hard to deny the advantages of social media networks for small businesses, as they look to growth revenues and their customer base. A point made in this article that I liked was the fact that not every individual is a potential consumer for your product. This underscores the importance of understanding your target market, and adapting your marketing strategy to more effectively reach and appeal to this audience.
As an aside, I would be curious to see some data on the financial affect that poorly managing social media presence has had on businesses.
Especially for small businesses, it is important to utilize any marketing tool that is available. Small businesses may not have the money to advertise on television, but by using social media, they are able to advertise their product for free. By using Twitter, these small businesses educate followers of their brand. And by doing so, existing followers can market the business to new customers by word of mouth. Based off the research done for our social media playbook, small businesses need to be aware and have knowledge of how to maximize the benefits of social media. From the article, the small businesses were successful in the timing of their Twitter posts. They did not overwhelm followers, but did just enough to educate followers of their company and product.
This was a very interesting article. Social media has provided smaller businesses an excellent opportunity to advertise for free. With increasing numbers of traffic through social media small businesses can really take advantage of getting the brand out there. If they really want to succeed with it, it is important for them to take full advantage. They can do this by coming up with a strategy that really grabs the attention of their target market, and by interacting frequently with customers they can quickly identify any changes in needs or wants the consumer may have. By taking full advantage of social media, every company has an opportunity to truly build their brand.
This is a great article. As an avid social media user, I realize how much of a useful tool it is to promote goods. I am basically on either Facebook or Twitter every hour of every day that I am awake. I love seeing what my friends are doing, or following my favorite people on Twitter. In the days of social media, if a company, or small store does not use at least one form of social media, they will not get ahead of the competition. The fact that this person already has a big following helps him immensely in selling his goods. It is harder for an up and coming company to generate much success on social media because they have to create a following of people. Once they do this, business will start booming.
I definitely believe that social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have tremendously helped in the promotions of small businesses, boutiques, and sole-props. Before you could make a webpage for your small business, it may have been a lot harder to get your name out there. Now you can make a Facebook page in a matter of minutes. It's free and you don't have to hire someone to do the work for you! You can do it yourself. It's very easy to advertise for all different types of businesses and brands now on social media.
I do believe that social media is a great way to promote, and advertise a product/products for an individual or a company as a whole. With that said, it is also a fast way to get criticism from others may it be positive or not. With easy promotion, it is just as easy to have someone post untrue and/or negative comments. If you or your company plans to use social media as a way to advertise then they are instantly assuming the responsibility of having to check and respond to post on a very regular basis.
With that said I believe that social media is a great advertising opportunity if managed correctly. One it's free and two it can go virual with little work needed!
Posting new products or inventory to social media sites is an easy and convenient way to get your message out to consumers. Plus, it's free so nothing bad about that. Not to mention that most people spend excessive amounts of time on social media anyways so they are bound to see the ads you post. However, the first task is getting your customers to follow your social media sites so they'll see your ads. This may take some enticing, but worth the work in the end.
I wonder if there would be a leveling off point. What I mean, if the gas station owner is increasing his traffic through social media, that means he is attracting business away from other businesses. Those other businesses may increase their advertising through social media, which may lead to a marketing environment where social meadia marketing is essential, but it may not be a game changer.
Another point I would like to make, the article mentioned that it might cost $3,000 to $20,000 to pay for a professional social media marketing plan. That seems like a lot of money for a local small business that has very, very small margins.
Small Business and Twitter work together perfectly. It gives these businesses an avenue of marketing and branding that the larger businesses seem to dominate. Sometimes those larger companies seem more robotic and I really related to the statement Michael Mendez said. “People want to know there is a human behind a business.” I think it is a smart move that he oversees all the online branding. Larger companies have whole teams that do this, and sometimes that personal appeal gets lost. It’s great that small business can great a good appearance in these social medias.
Small Business and Twitter work together perfectly. It gives these businesses an avenue of marketing and branding that the larger businesses seem to dominate. Sometimes those larger companies seem more robotic and I really related to the statement Michael Mendez said. “People want to know there is a human behind a business.” I think it is a smart move that he oversees all the online branding. Larger companies have whole teams that do this, and sometimes that personal appeal gets lost. It’s great that small business can great a good appearance in these social medias.
“Society has become more visual. Giving my followers the ability to see what we have readily available or ask me any questions directly gives my company a more personal feel.”
Marketing is hard, it takes time and effort. Online marketing creates an avenue to promote and receive instantaneous feedback. Instantaneous, like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The immediacy of feedback and quality of responses vary from channel to channel, but they all have great ways to cater to the visual consumer.
Today, "the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest", I am part of above described Red Bull Crowd, and I have never used Pinterest. This brings me to an important part of online marketing, and that is strategy.
Strategy requires research and flexibility, it requires initial benchmarks also. It is hard to set those benchmarks considering that not every business will benefit equally or to the same extent. Some see increased profit in tens and some in thousands of percent. The trick is to try different approaches and building and learining on how to promote using these online avenues.
Starting with a Facebook Page is a start, but everyday concent, such as news, products, events, have to be posted throughout the day. This is where developing a Twitter and Instagram following is essential. One thing is for sure, ask for feedback and you shall receive it. As mentioned in the article, online marketing creates a place of conversation, and disscussion, thus is a great way to build relationships, and to retain customers. Online marketing can also be a way to differentiante the market, filtering to achieve the clientele that a business wants.
Last night, Ellen Degeneres, the host of the Oscars, tweeted a photo with famous Hollywood stars, which led to a 4 million retweet and shut down Tweeter for a brief time. Time kind of publicity is amazing, considering that retweet has made history for the most retweeted tweet.
This is why the power of online marketing is so important, I reaches millions or just a few, by creating special #hashtags that allow users to follow and share the content.
The time invested in online marketing and its upkeep is not yet properly measured, but do not be discouraged. Go ahead, Tweet, Gram, Pin, or Post, for your business' sake.
“Society has become more visual. Giving my followers the ability to see what we have readily available or ask me any questions directly gives my company a more personal feel.”
Marketing is hard, it takes time and effort. Online marketing creates an avenue to promote and receive instantaneous feedback. Instantaneous, like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The immediacy of feedback and quality of responses vary from channel to channel, but they all have great ways to cater to the visual consumer.
Today, "the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest", I am part of above described Red Bull Crowd, and I have never used Pinterest. This brings me to an important part of online marketing, and that is strategy.
Strategy requires research and flexibility, it requires initial benchmarks also. It is hard to set those benchmarks considering that not every business will benefit equally or to the same extent. Some see increased profit in tens and some in thousands of percent. The trick is to try different approaches and building and learining on how to promote using these online avenues.
Starting with a Facebook Page is a start, but everyday concent, such as news, products, events, have to be posted throughout the day. This is where developing a Twitter and Instagram following is essential. One thing is for sure, ask for feedback and you shall receive it. As mentioned in the article, online marketing creates a place of conversation, and disscussion, thus is a great way to build relationships, and to retain customers. Online marketing can also be a way to differentiante the market, filtering to achieve the clientele that a business wants.
Last night, Ellen Degeneres, the host of the Oscars, tweeted a photo with famous Hollywood stars, which led to a 4 million retweet and shut down Tweeter for a brief time. Time kind of publicity is amazing, considering that retweet has made history for the most retweeted tweet.
This is why the power of online marketing is so important, I reaches millions or just a few, by creating special #hashtags that allow users to follow and share the content.
The time invested in online marketing and its upkeep is not yet properly measured, but do not be discouraged. Go ahead, Tweet, Gram, Pin, or Post, for your business' sake.
“Society has become more visual. Giving my followers the ability to see what we have readily available or ask me any questions directly gives my company a more personal feel.”
Marketing is hard, it takes time and effort. Online marketing creates an avenue to promote and receive instantaneous feedback. Instantaneous, like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The immediacy of feedback and quality of responses vary from channel to channel, but they all have great ways to cater to the visual consumer.
Today, "the Red Bull crowd is more likely to be on Instagram, while mothers are more likely to be on Pinterest", I am part of above described Red Bull Crowd, and I have never used Pinterest. This brings me to an important part of online marketing, and that is strategy.
Strategy requires research and flexibility, it requires initial benchmarks also. It is hard to set those benchmarks considering that not every business will benefit equally or to the same extent. Some see increased profit in tens and some in thousands of percent. The trick is to try different approaches and building and learining on how to promote using these online avenues.
Starting with a Facebook Page is a start, but everyday concent, such as news, products, events, have to be posted throughout the day. This is where developing a Twitter and Instagram following is essential. One thing is for sure, ask for feedback and you shall receive it. As mentioned in the article, online marketing creates a place of conversation, and disscussion, thus is a great way to build relationships, and to retain customers. Online marketing can also be a way to differentiante the market, filtering to achieve the clientele that a business wants.
Last night, Ellen Degeneres, the host of the Oscars, tweeted a photo with famous Hollywood stars, which led to a 4 million retweet and shut down Tweeter for a brief time. Time kind of publicity is amazing, considering that retweet has made history for the most retweeted tweet.
This is why the power of online marketing is so important, I reaches millions or just a few, by creating special #hashtags that allow users to follow and share the content.
The time invested in online marketing and its upkeep is not yet properly measured, but do not be discouraged. Go ahead, Tweet, Gram, Pin, or Post, for your business' sake.
I thought Mendez's comment about people appreciating knowing there is a human being behind a business was a great point. However, I think there is more to it than a business owner personally writing tweets or making posts. Often, businesses claim that the owner is the one behind the social network, but I find myself wondering if it is true. If I go into the business and see the owner, though, I feel a connection with the social media I've seen, the physical location, and the owner who really does exist. Mendez had a great point, but I think it's also important to recognize that owners and managers should make their physical presence in a store/restaurant/office known so that customers have reassurance of that person's presence.
I thought this was a great article that covered many aspects of how small businesses can effectively utilize social media. One aspect of the article that surprised me is that consumers are most likely to follow a company on Facebook or Twitter after they’ve already made a purchase from that company. In my personal scenario, I almost always follow a company before I make a purchase from them. I do this to ensure that I am supporting a company with values similar to mine. I also enjoy seeing how they handle customer interactions. These can turn me on or off to a company and is what I base my purchase decisions on. I like how Carlos Garcia suggests that individual business owners start out doing all social media marketing themselves. I love this concept, and it’s one that I see often as a consumer of the boutique cigar industry. I really respect business owners who actually take the time to build relationships with their customers and end up supporting these businesses because of that aspect. Eventually, it will be hard for a business owner to manage all social media accounts, which might require a team to handle social media and technology changes.
Is this really a newsworthy article? To be honest, I don't think its news to anyone that social media is a necessity in today's business environment. I think it's great that small businesses are using social media to their advantage and increasing their sales and profit, but they would be acting to their own disadvantage if they didn't. I agree with the article that firms will need to develop more comprehensive strategies to manage their social marketing. As more and more people catch on, the bar will be raised and expertise will be expected. I think the article stated a lot of obvious points about marketing and advertising in general, but good attempt by the author and publisher.
It is extremely vital for small businesses to strongly engage in marketing. They are beginning a business where not many people know of them. So they have to do everything in their power to get the word out about their business. What are people doing with their time nowadays? They are on social media. If you have social media accounts where you can connect with people and remind them of your products and what you can do for them, that will definitely strengthen your business. You have to keep posting and reminding people of your business and what you offer. When they can remember it, either they will shop there or refer a friend to shop there. Being on social media also sends a message to potential customers that you are a modern business and care about promoting yourself and connecting with the community.
It's very important for small businesses to become involved with social media marketing. It is extremely stupid for them to not. Social media is so popular now a days. From the reading we learned 85 percent of buyers go online to research purchases, that means that these small companies could really be profitable if they invest in social marketing ideas. Certain buyers are interested in different social media sites. It's important to due research and learn who is interested in what and how to market to them.
"We rely on customers to help create the brand."
Social media has made this kind of thinking both possible and acceptable. It will be interesting to see if the customers' perceptions of a product ever conflict with the "brand makers" employed by a company. The customer is right only if they help you make money and promote your brand.
I think there will also be an increase in DIY marketers, since evolving technology means more people can educate themselves and use technology productively. Its far easier to build your own website and keep track of your business's books using proprietary software than it was 3 decades ago, when this technology was esoteric. Social media marketers are cashing in on the demand now, but a real groundswell of organic talent might invade their space a bit in the future.
The article talks about something that was the point of one of my study group discussion this week. We mostly talk about marketing in sports, so we were comparing social media (Facebook, Twitter, whatsAp)to TV ads. Social media has being used more by giant clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, or NFL teams to promote their new MKT campaigns than TV ads. Social media has a quicker and more personal impact on people than any other way of advertising.
I like the article because it reminds me of how powerful social medias are for small businesses. Today Twitter is an information tool that many business use. Why? Because it's pretty much free advertisment for your company. The use of hastags helps alot on twitter because people can easily find what product you are advertising.
I like the article because it reminds me of how powerful social medias are for small businesses. Today Twitter is an information tool that many business use. Why? Because it's pretty much free advertisment for your company. The use of hastags helps alot on twitter because people can easily find what product you are advertising.
I like this article beacuse it reminds me of when i first sign up for twitter. I was able to track all my favorite products, when they drop and sales. Twitter is, like Facebook, a powerful tool for small business because it is pretty much fre advertisment and since many people are suscribed to twitter, they can track what you are selling. The use of hastag is also important in a way that people can find out about your products easily.
This article presents a creative way for any small business to advertise on Twitter and Facebook. I wouldn't typically thing of a local gas station being able to create a buzz on social media but they have recognized what their customers want and have found a creative way through social media to provide information to their customers.
I find this article interesting because I am a Realtor who utilizes social media websites to help with my business. It's a great way to stimulate interest, get word out to your sphere of influence about your services, and a way to sort of build that an informal relationship with posts that include humor, stunning views, unique home features, etc. Obviously, if you are running a business in 2014 and don't have a presence on social media, you need to get with the program. The costs are minimal, mostly time more than anything, and the impact can be huge
I think social media can be very helpful for getting the word out about products in small businesses. The key is to have a significant following, which can be difficult at first but once the word is out, can increase exponentially. People are very connected to social media but they don't want to follow a company that doesn't offer them anything interesting on their feed, so if one offers an incentive to follow them (ie posting new products with limited availability, sales, specials, etc) it can really help increase a company's following.
This is a great article. I enjoyed that Mendez is able to make his convenience stores a destination location when, traditionally, convenient stores try to increase revenue on the impluse buy. We are in a time when consumers look for advice and recommendations on the internet. "At a time when 85 percent of buyers go online to research purchases..." Small businesses can build a brand and connect with consumers through social media. Their brand shows its own personality while interacting with followers and fans. It is definitely true that if a business is ignoring social media marketing then they will be passed by the competition that is utilizing this powerful form of marketing.
Social media is a great way for small businesses to get their name out to the public. There are now so many stories on how a small business grew because of using social media effectively. On the other hand, social media can be used to destroy a business. Using social media correctly can really increase business.
After reading all these articles about social media and businesses, it made me wonder why social media has been as successful as it has been. I think it comes down to a couple of reasons. One reason is, as consumers, we enjoy the fact that we can follow or like a businesses page and can keep up with what they are doing. It makes us feel connected to that business. Secondly, I think there is just something about a twitter or Facebook post that seems more personal and thought out than some advertisement that is run everywhere on TV and the internet. In a world where everyone is trying to sell you something and advertisements are everywhere you turn, it's nice to be able to get on your page and see the businesses you want to see and a personal post from them.
I think social media is a good way to publicize a small business. If the company knows how to market well using social media than i think that it could bring a lot of attention to their small business. On the other hand it can be a fail. Sometimes small businesses lack in trying to sell their product over social media. The key to being successful as a small business over a social media is knowing how to market and target the key customers your trying to attract.
This article shows how important social media is in marketing. When people "like" a business on social media then their posts will show up more frequently on a persons news feed. It is crutial for businesses to market heavily through social media do to the high traffic volumes of viewers. A business can post something on social media and have millions of viewers within a day.
This article is full of good tips for small businesses. I am an entrepreneurship major and am on the founding team of a small company. I bookmarked this page and plan to use some of the principals this summer to help boost our online sales. The SIGNARAMA owner who would post finished jobs with a link to the person or company the sign was for was smart, by creating as many links as possible it increases the visibility of SIGNARAMA to customers. Additionally, testing becomes very important and is mentioned in the article. Testing the type of social media and the message and documenting what people like and respond to the most is key. I really like this article for that reason. It does not tell you what to do and expect it to work, it explains that every business is different and therefore one strategy will not work for all of them, but rather it gives you the tools and ideas to discover what works best for you and your company.
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