The term social network marketing or social media marketing ( SMM ) refers to all the activities and measures used in social networks to generate business opportunities, increasing reach and customer loyalty. Social media marketing can be viewed as public relations and customer service. The first objective is to increase factors such as traffic, CTR and reach. The next step is to build long-term loyalty from customers, influencers and Viral Marketing. SMM can be part of Customer Relationship Management and also includes social media advertising.
General information
When social networks such as Facebook, Twitter , Google Plus or LinkedIn were created , it was not clear that they were also offered as public relations and marketing tools. Social networks were considered unprofitable. However, with the increase in the number of users, the importance of direct customer contact and ever-increasing reach has become more apparent. Networks have become more sophisticated and have increased in number – social media marketing spending for marketing is also expected to increase . Today, very different social platforms are used in both the B2C and B2B sectors to achieve corporate goals.
Adaptation to any size of company
Social media marketing is an option for many businesses and organizations. It is very likely that the target group uses social networks in some way, be it with a smartphone or at home on a desktop PC or laptop. Portals such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, Instagram or Linkedin are among the most visited websites in the world. However, whoever wants to use social media marketing must first define the company’s goals and select a strategy . This includes appropriate platforms and networks, a content creation plan, and employees who can use social media as a customer service and communication channel.
MMS Types
In social media marketing, two basic strategies can be distinguished, in which the passive variant is often considered as a necessary component of every marketing:
- Proactive marketing in social networks : Here, own and user-generated content is created and distributed to achieve the objectives of the company. Active marketing on social networks not only requires the use of resources and budget, but with a multi-channel approach, it also includes the organization of different channels to increase the reach of…
- Passive Social Media Marketing : External content is used to achieve goals. The activities of users and market facilitators are recorded and evaluated through monitoring. These data are additional information that can be used for making strategic and operational decisions.
Advanteges of Social Media Marketing
The basic strategies mentioned above result in individual concepts that can also be combined. In practice, it is mainly about raising awareness , improving customer loyalty, improving access to the target group and communication.
- Direct customer contact : Social media can be used as a means of customer service. Customers contact businesses by messaging, rating, or posting a status. If the company reacts immediately or relatively quickly, there is a proximity to the customer that cannot be achieved by other means.
- Building Interest Groups : Groups, blogs, and forums can be used to create networks of common interests. Although this is only possible for certain products and services, such a meeting of users with a real interest in the product and the possibility of exchange is almost only conceivable on social networks.
- Events : Concerts and events are a popular means of reaching customers, especially in the restaurant industry.
- Interactive Campaigns : Sweepstakes, vouchers, game apps, and surveys are all ways to engage potential customers.
- Sales and distribution : Sales of reduced products and other sales concepts can be made here.
- Reputation, image and authority : Experience can be gained by providing solid information. The image and advertising campaigns serve to create a good reputation.
- Viral Marketing : Certain content encourages users to share. This content is processed virally by being distributed by many users. This can also be done by so-called “influencers”.
- SEO : With a presence on social networks, so-called social signals can be sent to search engines. Profiles on Twitter, Facebook and Co. are often indexed by search engines and appear relatively high in the SERPs . High interaction rates (likes, comments, shares) are additional positive signals that let search engines know that users find the offer interesting.
- Monitoring of Social Networks : Companies have numerous possibilities in the fields of information and control. This data can be used in many ways. For example, to better understand customers and increase customer loyalty, or to track the brand.
- Traffic : Social media is a great way to drive visitors to blogs or websites. A prerequisite for this is of course good content.
Importance for online marketing
Social media marketing is today an integral part of business life for many retailers and online companies – in some cases even as a stakeholder strategy in the realm of business plans. Especially in the consumer goods sector, almost every company has at least one social profile . The number of potential networks has also increased rapidly in recent years. Therefore, companies need to find relevant platforms and fill them with interesting content. A multichannel strategy is advisable. However, this does not mean that all available channels must be used. Rather, it is the target groups and their usage patterns that are decisive for the choice of a platform. Methods such as targeting, Segmentation and tracking allow you to reach the relevant target groups and thus avoid losses.
Companies often have specific PR (offline) experiences. This know-how must be put to use, as the principles of successful corporate communication remain constant, at least in the beginning – only technology and the environment have changed. Aspects such as corporate design, branding or corporate publication should not be neglected when the brand message must be received by users. You have to find a balance between advertising and transparent and authentic communication or content marketing. Too much advertising discourages users relatively quickly. It’s important to engage users at the right touch points with the right content and establish a culture of feedback. The principles of success in social media marketing are very complex, but a little experimentation is definitely appropriate. The first successes are often achieved after a few months.
Influencers also play an important role in social media marketing. These are well-known people with a broader community who work for companies and recommend their products or build brand awareness online. Influencers use their own social media channels like Instagram, Snapchat, or blogs.
Social media marketing can include or combine other forms of marketing. For example, content marketing or referral marketing is not possible without social media.