Although social media’s main purpose is to connect people with one another, it also gives marketers the opportunity to directly connect with existing and potential customers. More than 9.4 billion dollars was spent on social media advertisements in the United States in 2016, and that number is only projected to increase in the future.
This type of social media marketing has many benefits, but the top three are increased exposure, increased traffic, and developed loyal fans. According to the Social Media Examiner’s 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, a substantial 89% of all marketers indicated that their social media efforts generated more exposure for their business.
9 Tips to Help Run Successful Social Media Campaigns
1. Focus on the major players
With so many different social media sites out there, it can be hard to know where to focus your attention. Instead of spreading yourself thin across multiple social media platforms, start with the most used—and most valuable—spaces. Facebook is far and away the largest social media site, with 214 million users in the United States and thus the ideal for B2C communications. Twitter is another heavily populated site, with 69 million U.S. users. Twitter also does not use any special algorithms for reaching an audience, which makes it simple to use for marketers who are just starting out.
2. Run contests
One effective way to draw in a crowd is by running a contest. You can attract new followers—and keep the interest of your existing ones—by offering a chance at a prize for their engagement. Depending on your business model, the prize could be a service (such as a month of free pet grooming) or a monetary value (such as a gift certificate good for a certain dollar amount of pet products). You can require that Facebook users like your page and share the post with their friends to enter the contest. Twitter users could be asked to retweet your contest announcement or even post their own content, as long as they include a hashtag that designates it’s for your contest.
3. Offer social-media-only promotions
To ensure your followers stay engaged, you’ll want to post content that gives them a reason to continue being your fan. A best practice here would be to offer promotions to your social media followers that are not advertised elsewhere. For example, you could write a post on Sunday announcing to your followers that all pet services for the upcoming week are 30% off, nail trims are on special for $5, or a discounted treat can be obtained from the bakery case—they just have to mention this post when they come in or schedule their appointment. These type of “flash” sales give customers a reason to interact with your social media account on a regular basis.
4. Promote an event
Social media is the perfect place to promote upcoming events because you can reach a large audience in a short amount of time. When you are preparing to run an event, whether in-house or at a special location, it makes sense that you want to spread the word in as many places as possible. Traditional marketing methods work, but don’t forget about those social media accounts. Promoting events on your social media pages can especially excite customers because of the shared visibility. A customer who might have just glanced at an announcement email may pay more attention to a Facebook post where other customers are commenting about how excited they are to attend the soiree.
5. Listen to your customers
When you think of social media marketing, you most likely focus on your own actions—the posts you’ll put up or the tweets you’ll send out. It is important to remember that customers also can initiate contact with you on these platforms, and you should use that to your advantage. Don’t leave customers hanging—if someone asks a question, answer it. If someone writes a bad review, address their complaint. Your customers have good ideas too—listen to their feedback when you post a new, or upcoming, product or service. This type of interaction with your customers is what develops loyal fans.
6. Feature customer stories
Don’t be afraid to connect with your audience on an emotional level—give your business a human touch by featuring customer stories. Do you have a long-time customer who would be willing to share why she keeps coming back? Do you have a customer who does something really interesting—or maybe his pet does? Did an employee just adopt a new puppy? Share these stories with your followers and they’ll know you’re not just a robot behind a desk. Additionally, you could make it a recurring feature to give your followers something to look forward to. They might even reach out to you with stories of their own, further driving engagement.
7. Offer tips and advice
Providing varied, useful content is key when you’re running a social media account. Many people use these platforms to find and share information. Keep your customers informed and they’ll keep coming back. You can post links to articles and videos, share how-to advice, and more. For example, you can share tips on how pet owners can care for their pets’ nails and fur, or alert owners about household items that can be dangerous to pets. Pet owners will appreciate that you are keeping their pets’ best interests in mind.
8. Use video to your advantage
According to the 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 60% of marketers already use video in their social ads, and 73% plan to increase their use of video. In today’s world, video is a key part of a customer’s online experience. You can post a video showing how to use a product, create a video that explains why your services are top notch, or even share cute videos of pets. Videos posted to Facebook will automatically start playing when a user scrolls through their news feed, pulling them in and encouraging them to continue watching.
9. Target your audience
The social media marketing tips we’ve covered so far will only work if you post content that is valuable and interesting to your customers. Don’t forget to target your offerings, making use of your customer data and market research. Do you notice that your customers tend to call for weekend appointments on Friday, and then there aren’t many (if any) slots left? Do you have customers patiently waiting for a shipment of a certain food or treat? Use your social media accounts to keep customers informed of what is happening at your location. Does the data show that your customers are more likely to purchase a particular product if it’s on sale? Use social media to offer promotions for that item.
Pet Butler Helps Franchise Owners With Social Media Marketing
Maintaining an online presence with a social media account will help your business become more visible, increase traffic to your site and store, and develop loyal customers who keep coming back. “I grew up with more traditional media, but digital is faster, less expensive, and more flexible,” said Pete Hulse, of Pet Butler in Columbus, OH. “Social media allows for nearly immediate feedback. The Pet Butler team stays on top of all that.”
Pet Butler can help you grow and diversify with our 30 years of experience and proven expertise in marketing and technology. Adding a Pet Butler location is an excellent diversification strategy to cultivate your business. Call 1-844-777-8608 or visit us at www.growmypetindustrybusiness.com to learn more.
