Social media marketing (SMM) is a way of marketing goods or services using social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and so on. One way to do this is to have buttons for sharing on your website, then when someone finds what they want, they can immediately show it to all their friends. Very often the comments they make about a product or service go viral, so it is essential that what they say is good, rather than bad.
However, even if bad comments are posted it gives business owners the opportunity to get into the conversation to limit the damage or explain what the problem was and how it is being fixed. People love to feel that they are being heard and social media gives them a voice to comment or in some cases rave on about the product they love – or hate.
Some businesses think that even bad comments are good in that they stir interest as everyone jumps on board to see what the trouble is. If that trouble can then be resolved in a calm and lucid manner, it gives everyone a chance to see that the company is interested in what their customers need. This can be very good for the company and can actually help to establish their reputation as a business that cares about their customers.
It is also helpful for a company to hear exactly what consumers need. If you market white t-shirts and many people on Facebook say how they love the t-shirt but would prefer a specific colour, then it gives your company the chance to add that product to your range. This can certainly increase sales, especially if you mention that such a shirt was requested by x number of people so here it is.
Other social media such as Twitter is good for letting your followers know when a product is available, without having to set up a Facebook page or take ages to draft content. With just a few words and a link, you can give consumers a chance to find the product they want and they can easily and quickly re-tweet the information to their friends and followers. This becomes like a ripple effect that can widen out to include many more people than you may have imagined.
Social media marketing is not only about social media sites, but also about blogging. When the website of a business also has a blog for which they allow comments, they can interact with consumers in a more personal way to find out what they do or don’t like about a product or service or anything about their business they may care to blog about.
They can use the blog to give their customers, or anyone who happens across their website valuable information about the topic they are interested in. Offering such information gives your company credibility and helps to warm people up to dealing with you. They begin to trust a company that offers them the kind of information and advice they need.
When people read a blog that is written to help them, they begin to feel that they are dealing with someone they know and are likely to become return customers because of it. They also tell their friends about it, which can lead to even more sales for your company.