What Social Media Marketing Works And What Doesn’t

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN SANTA BARBARA

It’s disheartening to catch up on new trends in social media marketing only to realize what you thought was relevant was merely a fad. You have a Facebook account, you post occasionally and you think you know what’s going on. But you don’t. Thankfully, we do, so let’s get started with a little adjudication on social media marketing:

1. Facebook Banner Ads

It doesn’t work! An average of .04% of Facebook users click on banner ads. Instead of spending money on banner ads, focus on gathering a loyal following on your Facebook page. Facebook users aren’t stupid; they can smell a cheap ad from a mile away, and they’d much prefer to interact with you.

2. Garner Support

Gather some third-party support and rally some influencers who can spread the word. Social validation is key in the modern marketplace. 70% of social media users trust “consumer opinions posted online,” while 92% trust “recommendations from people I know.” (Pew Internet & American Life Project)

3. Where are your friends going?

According to SocialBakers, 1.4 million active Facebook users in the United States dropped off the map in December 2012. That’s a small percentage of the 160 million active Facebook users in the US, but it still provides an early warning sign.

4. Do they still care?

“Waning enthusiasm for Facebook” among teens shows that Generation Y is looking to other outlets for their social media fix. According to Pew Research, Facebook has become a burden for today’s teens, and users of other sites show greater enthusiasm for their particular choice.

5. New Social Media

There are some sweet new social media platforms out there! Take a look at what the youngsters are using: Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, and Kik. Twitter was the fastest-growing social network in 2012 and is becoming quite the behemoth with teens. 26% of teens reported using Twitter in 2012, compared to only 12% in 2011.

6. Today’s New is Tomorrow’s Old

Second Life, Friendster, MySpace—all fads—and Facebook seem to be close to the threshold of being labelled as “old school.”. The medium isn’t what’s important; it’s your brand! If you can convince people to care about your product, the social media following will follow.

And now you’re sort of up to date! I say “sort of” because trends are innately always changing, but as 2013 comes to a close, feel confident that you’re now in the loop. What to take away from this article is that you must know your customers and engage with them! It’s easier said than done, but engagement is the backbone of viral marketing, and going viral is like the Holy Grail of business.