Social media has been part of our lives for over 20 years. Is your business taking advantage of it?
Traditional social media? They are only 25 years old, but yes, there are social media platforms one might refer to as traditional, as in older. The first social media platform was 1997's Six Degrees. Simple by today’s standards, users could upload photos, add friends, and not much else. By 1999 blogging sites became accessible to the internet novice, introducing the masses to the kinds of ubiquitous social sharing we are accustomed to using today.
The social media giants we are familiar with today are far younger, and new ones are being born all the time. Between 2002 and 2006 many of the platforms we know and love today got their start: Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Blogger, Flikr, Twitter among them. With more computers in homes and mobile phones and tablets accessing the internet, social media exploded.
Astute business marketers saw this new phenomenon as a new way to deliver their message to potential new customers. From Facebook Fan Pages to commercial Twitter accounts, companies small and large have been capitalizing on social media long enough for a mature approach to take shape.
Follow the users
Your company may be the master of Facebook, but how about those new social media whippersnappers? The last ten years has witnessed a host of new social media channels gain popularity for users and for marketers. Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest have slowly seen the integration of advertisements in feeds and content screens. Major demographic shifts have occurred as age-range segments abandon one channel to find another favorite. Do you know where your customers spend time scrolling, clicking and discovering?
If you are looking for ways to get more social media engagements, boost awareness increase your authority all to ultimately gain customers, here are some of the new social media platforms that could offer a better bang for your buck than the traditional social media giants you are used to:
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is a hyper-local, conversation based platform. Designed to give neighborhoods a way to communicate, local companies can participate in a post-and-reply format with individuals in specific small geographic areas who are asking neighbors and friends for recommendations for the services and goods you provide. Nothing is better than word of mouth marketing, and this lets you track (and influence) who knows about you in your community.
Instagram isn’t just for pictures of brunch and your cousin’s latest vacation. The photo-based platform holds the title for most interactions among users. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so let your Instagram feed be filled with stories and human experiences with your brand. Build trust with photos of your work, your staff, a happy customer- whatever you think fits this visual channel.
Pinterest
You’d be surprised at how quickly a post can go viral with a good Pinterest presence. Shares and saves multiply quickly here if you have great photos and great linkable content. By sharing your photos to a gallery or blog posts on your websites, you can draw in visitors across a wide user base. And did you ever think that it’d be the top shopping platform for millenials?
Snapchat
Did you know you can make your own Snapchat filters? Filters are special graphics superimposed on your photo, like "Miss you here in Savannah GA!" on your vacation photo of River Street. The price is incredibly low to place your name at the bottom of the screen for a few hours or days. If you are sponsoring an event, have an office party, attend a career fair or participate in community events, you can get everyone there to appreciate the value of your company. 60% of custom filters are seen by daily Snapchat users (that’s almost 200 million users).
Industry Social Media
Social media aren't just personal. Regardless of your industry, there’s a niche social media platform for you. From Avvo for lawyers to ActiveRain for real estate to Untappd for beer lovers and many more, there’s a platform that is just for your industry, or one that puts you into an online zone where your customers hang out.
If you are looking for your social media to take off, United WebWorks can help. We’re recognized as a top Paid Media & Pay Per Click Company on DesignRush. We know the ins and outs of all kinds of platforms and what content shares best on each one. Give us a call today to set up a consultation at (912) 231-0016.
