Creating the Consumer Experience Through Social Media

The past few years have led to a transition in the marketing industry. Detached advertisements are no longer successful. The millennial generation is focused on receiving an experience rather than the product itself. This result has lead to a transition towards an interactive customer experience. Marketers must focus on relevance, context, and effective delivery.

Social media is one platform that is growing in this industry. Consumers feel engaged by social media interaction. The objective of a social media strategy for many businesses is to increase the reach and visibility of their company. The challenge involved with social media, is creating a customized platform.

Find your audience:
It is tempting to follow what is trending in popular culture and jump on whatever platform is being talked about the most. Maximizing your social media use means choosing those platforms and practices that suit your core business strategy. Utilizing analytics can help you discover your target audience. Pages with a larger following can be a great source. Connecting with their page will give you exposure to the following built by that page. Joining group and community pages with similar interests will allow you to reach potential audience members. Location, interest and demographic are key in building your target audience.

Create your platform:
There are several social media sites that may suit your company’s needs. Facebook may be the largest social media platform, but Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram have the highest growth rates. Each site has its benefits. If your target audience is an older generation, and followers seem to have a long attention span for content than Facebook may be the best site for you. If you have a younger following who seeks a constant connection than Twitter and Snapchat may be better routes for you to pursue. All social sites provide you with management insights. This information is very valuable as it allows you to see what is most effective for your page. Focus on what is already successful for your company and try to build where you are weak.

Grow your following:
Social media isn’t a place to advertise your products or services 24/7. The key is to engage your followers. Your sites provide a platform for providing your prospects and customers with useful and interesting content. Engaging with them in two-way dialogue is what will drive your success. Keep in mind the 80/20 rule; 80% of your content should be helpful information and the remaining 20% can be of a promotional nature. Showing you are involved with others and in the community is key. Publicize your social presence, show your support to others and the more likely your page is to be given support. Engaging with influencers and the social community can also help boost the following of your page. By linking up with other sites, your page will have more exposure. Another way to keep your audience engaged is by offering contests and promotions for your audience to stay involved. People are attracted to interaction and can from there be led to promotion.