Social Media Marketing is an ever growing and more influential tool for all businesses, from being at one stage just an add on to an overall SEO strategy social media marketing is now hugely important. How often do we hear about viral marketing or get emailed a link to YouTube by a friend? These videos and promotions do not happen by accident, they are not organic, despite what the advertisers want you to believe they’re all cleverly designed and rigorously tested before being launched. Who can remember Christmas 2008 and the Threshers email that supposedly escaped offering 25% discounts off all orders, the email was allegedly for employees only? Anyway, this email made the news, stores had queues outside, stock was depleted and talking heads were talking about the huge error Threshers had made. In fact this was a well planned viral campaign, which added tens of millions of pounds to turnover during a recession. This campaign would have cost in the thousands, an amazing return for such a little investment.
1. Social Media Marketing has a heftier influence than you might imagine
The surprise news from ComScore’s analysis of 2009 online-shopping was the level of influence social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have on people’s shopping habits. A whopping 28% of people surveyed said a social site had influenced their purchase decisions. At least 7% discovered a favourite online retailer through Facebook, and 5% regularly followed an e-business on Twitter in the hopes of receiving coupons and other promotional offers.
2. Social Media Marketing remains an inexpensive marketing option
While other marketing venues like Pay-Per-Click have risen in price, Social Media Marketing remains affordable. Many methods of promotion on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, etc. are actually free.
3. Social Media Marketing allows you more creative liberties than some other forms of advertising
Your average Pay-Per-Click ad can be well-worded, but it’s a limited medium in terms of grabbing your customer’s attention and show-casing the personality of your business. When you post an ad on Facebook or other social media sites, you can include images and even animation. Social Media Marketing often offers more creative and personalized advertising options than other venues it can also be designed and launched within a matter of hours, great for catching immediate attention or in response to a breaking story.
Social media marketing is vital for any companies’ long term growth strategy online; it shouldn’t be an afterthought but an integeral part of your SEO strategy. Our SEO consultants have lots of experience in this field with a great track record of providing maximum exposure for our clients for very little investment.