The traditional marketing model was to obtain as many eyeballs on your product or service’s message as you possibly can and hope a percentage of customers purchase. Yellow pages, radio advertising, direct mail, television commercials, magazine ads, etc.. are examples of these traditional advertising methods. These conventional forms of marketing are no longer effective as many consumers have grown to be blind to the ‘one way’ messaging. The message has been overdone and people no longer trust advertisers. A recent survey discovered that only 14% of people trust ads while 76% of individuals trust consumer recommendations. Accordingly, Luxury Travel Tip began seeking alternative methods to connect with potential consumers.
Marketing on the Internet was originally made popular by utilizing Websites and optimizing those sites through SEO (SEO) techniques. While still a worthwhile strategy, SEO has been updated by Blogging platforms 2.0 strategies, such as for example social media marketing. Social media is when companies utilize Web 2 2.0 platforms, such as for example blogs, social networking sites (like Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, Twitter, & YouTube) along with other emerging online marketing tools. The benefit of web 2 2.0 platforms versus traditional means of advertising, and even traditional online marketing, is that it involves ‘two-way communication’, where users are empowered to generate content and companies are incentivized to talk to their customers.
The days of broadcasting your product or services message out to the masses and hoping for a response are gone. People don’t want to purchase from nameless, faceless companies. Not only are consumers watching the ‘man behind the curtain’, however they also wish to know what others are saying about your product or service. A recent study figured 80% folks Internet using moms were influenced by word-of-mouth from friends and family when coming up with a purchase decision. No other media platform allows for small businesses to benefit from consumer person to person advertising like social media marketing.
Benefits Of Social Media Marketing
Increased New Customer Acquisitions – The main advantage of social media marketing is that you will have the opportunity to connect with networks of potential prospects that you would otherwise be unable to come across utilizing other conventional marketing techniques and even SEO.
Word of Mouth Marketing- Word of mouth marketing has always been probably the most influential way to generate sales. With social media marketing, it is possible to create raving fans who will voluntarily promote your product and services to their networks of friends. Of course, if your product or service is poor, you might suffer the reverse benefits of this.
Brand Awareness – Branding your organization using social media marketing is much simpler, faster, and less expensive to achieve than the traditional advertising medium as well as website marketing.
Customer Retention – Web 2 2.0 platforms are the perfect places to talk to your customers about services, special promotions, or merely to educate them on your own business. Through consistent, FREE communication, you can keep your company in front of your customer’s eyeballs that will in turn result in repeat business and referrals. Remember, the key to this type of communication is usually to be content rich; don’t use these avenues to pitch your product or service.
Rapid Results – The effective and successful implementation of a social media plan will create almost instant results for the business. This increase can be quantified through increased site traffic, increased lead acquisition, and ultimately increased sales. Unlike radio or TV ads, where your customers disappear once the ads set off air, these blogging platforms 2.0 platform benefits will continue long-term as long as the communication and updating of one’s social media presence is maintained.