Today’s world of digital marketing is an ever changing, ever growing jungle where luckily we have at our disposal a number of platforms, which we develop and use to promote, interact, listen to feedback and subsequently use to sell/push/market a product or service. We all know in this day and age the importance of the social media platforms and the effect they have had on not only our working lives, but personal as well. Over the last few years they have dictated the way we go about things in all walks of life. They have become a quintessential part of who we are and the need to have instant access to these sites have seen the vast development in technologies such as mobile phones, tablets and our own personal computers.
From a digital marketers point of view, they are a god send, they provide the perfect balance to a marketer as they are not only a way to connect with people instantaneously, but a way to develop new customer lead and potential clients, simply by allowing your current followers and friends to share your information. They share and spread the word, you just have to make sure that the word is worth spreading, remember “content is key!”
So when we as marketers think of social media sites, we are still led towards to big guns, Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Linkedin, YouTube, Flicker etc. However a number of people have started to have the opinion that the Zuckerberg ear is coming to an end, with Facebook becoming dated and with more young people leaning towards Pintrest and Twitter. They say they are leaning more towards these platforms as Pintrest is going from strength to strength, a perfect way for young people to share not only there photos, but what inspires them, where they would like to go, like to meet etc. Twitter has blossomed over the past few years, from a seemingly interesting social site that people where unfamiliar with and not sure about the format, to that of dominance and social relevance. Twitter is literally everywhere, which is what attracts the young people diving into the world of social media. From our PM David Cameron to our most loved footballers and actors, a major draw of this platform is its celebrity intake and the chance for people to connect in real time to their heroes.
However, while I agree that these are all great platforms, each bringing their own successful individual aspects, I don’t see the Zuckerberg era being over with yet, by a long shot. I feel that all these different platforms all interlink and are only truly fulfilling their strongest potential when they are utilized collectively and all coincide with one over all marketing plan.
Facebook is still a crucial part of this and is still very much relevant in today’s online culture. The benefits of Facebook are there to see and its still the most popular social media platform on the planet and is continuing to show willingness to grow within itself, especially after purchasing Instagram last year. This was a big move for Facebook as it was a huge financial commitment, but Instagram is currently one of the most hyped social media platforms available, using the two afore mentioned sites (Pintrest & Twitter) and taking the best aspects of the two and amalgamating the two, using Pintrests pin board style template, with Twitters appeal of short, sharp posting, with the added lure of once again celebrity involvement.
Other benefits from a marketing point of view are that they have recently integrated Facebook graph search, which, in a nut shell, means you can connect and specifically target particular groups/individuals based on certain aspects they like, which could relate to your product. This is a great tool and one which I expect to have a great influence over Facebook over the coming months now it has been fully rolled out. To ensure people & prospective customers can find you, you can use the afore mentioned graph search and begin connecting with people yourself, but don’t forget this isn’t an easy way out, there is no replacement for sharing thought provoking, interesting content which people will want to share and which will help you gain followers, likes and shares the original way.
Finally Facebook allows its users to promote content via paid Facebook advertising where you can pay a few pounds and Facebook will promote your content for you to people Facebook believes will be interested in your content, who have similar likes, interest of friends of these people. These can be used to great effect, but don’t use advertising to prop up boring content, rather use the Facebook ad’s to accelerate successful, thought provoking content! Once again, content is key, always be engaging and give the consumers what they want and if you become bored with by social media it is because you’re trying to get more value than you create.
Please comment, discuss and share this post.
Regards
(Sourced form http://stevenormrodblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/why-should-marketers-still-use-facebook/)
