Social Media Marketing for Local Businesses

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1 Social Media Marketing for Local Businesses The average number of hours a U.S. consumer spends on social media per week. - PQ Media, 2013

2 Social is the Norm A lot has changed in the 10 years since Facebook first launched. No longer are social networking sites just a place where people can stay in touch with friends. Now 30 percent of people use Facebook as their primary source of news and revolutions have started on Twitter. The way people are connecting socially has changed too. While Facebook is still the number one social network, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest are all growing at steady rates and millions of users are accessing these sites from the palm of their hand with smartphones and other mobile devices. The statistics of people using social networks are growing at astonishing rates: Facebook has more than 1 billion users 350 million photos and 4.5 billion likes are posted on Facebook each day More than 757 million Facebook users access the site every day Twitter has over 243 million active users Twitter users tweet 500 million tweets each day 64% of Facebook users visit the site daily 2

3 Social networking provides the means for local businesses to reach users quickly and entire online communities can be built within hours. While many other forms of media took years or even decades to gain 50 million users, Facebook did so in just three years, and later added 100 million users in less than nine months. With social media now being the number one activity online, it s clear that it is not a trend that will die out, but instead a daily habit that will continue to grow and evolve. Having a social media presence is a necessity for small and large businesses alike to reach out to future customers and communicate effectively with current ones. It is imperative to engage consumers within these platforms and can be an informative tool for creating brand awareness with an effective, digital word-of-mouth campaign. 50% of consumers are more likely to purchase based on social media referrals. - Dashburst,

4 Social Media and Reputation Management As social media marketing has become more advanced, businesses now have a better ability to reach out to potential customers and connect with current consumers one-on-one. Local businesses can leverage new Internet marketing platforms to create substantial growth. Not only can brands effectively build relationships, but they can also monitor and respond to what consumers are saying about them. With 42 percent of consumers expecting a response to a complaint within one hour, it s clear that a dedicated social media specialist is a necessity in order to know how to make use of this feedback as well as correctly respond to it. 78% of online customers recommended a brand to a friend after a great customer service experience. - Help Scout, 2013 A positive comment can be highlighted and shared with your customer base, while a prompt response to a negative review can turn a critic into a fan. On the other hand, if a business doesn t have a professional to consistently monitor their social sites, they are at risk of losing loyal customers or facing a PR disaster. 4

5 The Importance of Having a Social Marketing Plan Traditional advertising campaigns remain effective, but integrating digital marketing strategies, such as social media, are crucial for advertisers to avoid becoming obsolete. Although 90 percent of small businesses have some kind of social presence online, only 40 percent say they ve seen some kind of return on investment. It s no longer enough to create a social presence; it s essential to develop an effective social media campaign to get in front of the eyes of your potential customers. An ideal social plans includes a knowledgeable social media specialist who can understand social insights and turn them into success as well as handle the human aspect of social such as quality content and dedicated customer service. It also includes using tools for real-time tracking, measurement, and accuracy in targeting consumers to determine which advertising approaches are working and which are failing. The G/O Digital targeting engine, powered by BLiNQ Media, stands out as a top digital marketing tool. It is the only social media platform that automatically expands or reduces geographic targeting around your business address until it finds the right amount of users for your budget. Are your potential consumers liking you or your competitor? 5

6 The Value of Like Certain digital advertising providers simply drive likes, and those likes are often not real or potential customers for the business. Assigning value on Facebook simply by the number of fans you obtain is problematic. Fans only provide value to a business if they are engaged and interacting. Ten thousand followers who like a business but never return to their page are far less valuable than several hundred who frequently interact with the business online. 60% of consumers say the integration of social media makes them more likely to share products or services. - Digital Insights, 2013 A true lead driven social media campaign builds brand recognition, monitors reputation and creates customer loyalty this is digital word-of-mouth. Incorporating social media into your business can drive new customers and retain the customer base your business has worked hard to build. The online voice, commenter, poster, blogger or tweeter is more powerful than ever and can be heard by millions within seconds. It s important your business recognizes this and is ready to react or respond accordingly. 6

7 What s Next for Social We ve already seen the massive changes that can occur in just 10 years with social media, so we can only expect to see more dramatic changes in the future. Social platforms are constantly changing their layouts and ad offers, new social sites often surface and then disappear, and Facebook continues to be a leader in innovation by purchasing messaging services, photo apps, and virtual reality technology. In order for a business to continue to keep up in the digital marketing world, they need to be able to stay on top of and adapt to these changes as necessary. So what s next for social? Mobile optimization. According to the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of cell phone users access social sites on their phone and 28 percent of them do so on a daily basis. Facebook s Q showed that the company now earns 53 percent of its ad revenue from mobile alone. With this data, it s clear that people are turning to their laptops or desktops less, and reaching for their phone or tablet more. If businesses want to be able to reach their consumers at the right place and at the right time, they need ensure that their overall marketing strategy works with mobile. This strategy includes things like making sure your online listings are up-to-date so it s easier to find you on mobile searches, understanding that your Facebook page doesn t look the same on mobile as it does on desktop and optimizing for that, and encouraging check-ins to help organically spread your name amongst your customers online friend base. Social media generates almost double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, daily mail, or PPC. - Digital Insights,

8 Be Found. Get Connected. Stay Engaged. See Results. At G/O Digital, we understand that marketing can no longer be limited to traditional advertising methods and that digital integration is the future. We understand that the conversation between consumers and businesses has changed and will continue to evolve and our team of digital marketing specialists has the expertise to meet these changes head on. With over one hundred years of media and marketing solutions, Gannett Media Corporation has experience in driving growth through traditional channels. The world is quickly becoming digital and more social; it s time for your business to catch up. G/O Digital provides a number of social marketing services that can help your business target and acquire new customers. Contact us today to find out how our Social Media Specialists can help boost social engagement, retain customers and grow your business through social media marketing. Social media marketing isn t new, but with G/O Digital you will have a consumer expert guiding you toward maximum social exposure