Social media allows your business to better advertise to consumers, but these tools also allow you to gain insight into the customers’ minds. For example, the Huffington Post explores how gender is linked to social media preference. Embracing this approach can allow you to gain the following benefits.
Provide Information Consumers Can Digest
Knowing consumers’ social media habits means that you can learn how they prefer to digest content on the internet. Some individuals prefer to click on links that take them to humorous websites, and others enjoy content that is delivered in visual formats. Still other individuals prefer to interact with like-minded people in forms or through sharing images. Once you learn how your customers like to explore on social media, you can employ these same tactics to deliver information about products and services. You can also get a strong sense of how much time your target audience members are likely to spend going through written content. While providing some text is generally necessary, you don’t want to provide paragraphs of writing to individuals who are unlikely to read it.
Explore Connections
Taking on a study of your customers’ routines on social media can also allow you to see with whom they connect. As Nu Skin does with its LinkedIn profile, you can see and build circles of connections. Doing so may allow you to discover that your current customers connect with people who could turn into potential customers. You can use these relationships to further promote your company. For example, you may ask followers to share information on their social media accounts, or you might offer a referral code. People who currently shop from your business could receive a promotion for passing on the word to friends.
Advertise at the Right Time
If you send out a stream of advertisements and no one sees them, then you your campaign doesn’t have much success. Explore the times of the day when your target audience members most use social media. You may find that in the morning before work begins, around lunch and in the evening hours are the peak times. Working to discover how long they stay on social media during these times is also important. You may have a large window during which you can advertise to people who are online at that moment, or you may need to find a more expeditious way to distribute your information. Ultimately, you want to put forth your advertisements when your audience members are logged in and have the time to really absorb what you have to say.
Select the Most Popular Avenue
According to the Huffington Post, knowing which social media sites to use is pivotal. Even if you spend a great deal of time advertising on one website, that approach isn’t of help unless your target audience members actively use that social media account. Determining which social media platforms your customers prefer will allow you to connect with more of them and to develop the best tools for each platform. Sharing pictures, direct interactions with consumers, short posts and videos all play a role in different modes of social media. The best ones for your company depend upon which platform is most used by your consumers and what their needs are.
Learning how your customers use social media allows you to create marketing plans that speak directly to your needs. Using techniques designed for specific consumers gives them the impression that your company understands their needs better than other entities do. Creating this level of rapport is an important step in encouraging consumers to return to your physical shop or virtual storefront.