Understanding social media in China

"Social media is exploding worldwide, and China is leading the way" with the world's most active social-media population and the fastest growing platforms. Uncle Advertising presents an overview of social media platforms in China.

Build an Engaged Instagram Following

Do you have an Instagram account?
Want to get more engagement from your followers?
If you want to drive engagement on Instagram, there’s plenty you can do to increase your company’s visibility to get more likes, comments and followers.

#1: Include Clear Calls to Action

On Instagram, calls to action (CTAs) appear either in the image itself or the caption.
This fun image approach from Brisk has the like built into the CTA. The company asks fans to double-tap their favorite flavor. Any double-tap on the image will result in a like.

Brisk’s Double-Tap campaign asks fans to double-tap their favorite flavor. It doesn’t matter which flavor fans double-tap for the image to get a like.

A simple way to get more engagement is to ask followers to “tag the person you love most” in the caption. They will likely tag others in the comments.

#2: Use Location for Calls to Action

Since Instagram only allows advertisers to share a clickable link in their posts, adding text to location is a great workaround to highlight a call to action.
For example, in the highly visible location spot, GoPro tells their followers to go to the “link in in our profile” to be a featured Photo of the Day.

Go Pro uses a CTA to point people to their URL.

You can also add text under an image’s location on Instagram.
First, upload an image to Instagram and share the post. Next, tap the three dots in the bottom corner of the photo and select Edit. The keyboard will then pop up along with the option Add Location.

Click the three dots, Edit and Add Location.

Tap Add Location and a pop-up asking you to turn on location services will appear. Press Cancel, and then tap the Find or Create a Location search bar. Then, type in your CTA. Instead of a CTA, you can also just input your company’s URL. Click Create a Custom Location.

In the spot that says Create a Custom Location, type in your CTA.

Click Done (or hit the checkmark for Android) and your CTA will show up directly above the image. Feel free to include emoticons in the location area to grab your followers’ attention.

#3: Leverage Relevant Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way for brands to stand out on Instagram and find people who are not yet following their account. Hashtags help organize and categorize images and video content, which aids in the process of content discovery. Just make sure to use Instagram hashtags that are relevant to the audience you’re attempting to reach.
For example, a cupcake company should add Instagram hashtags that are specific to their industry, like #EEEEATS or #Instafood, rather than hashtags about technology or photography. No one likes a brand that stuffs posts with unrelated hashtags.
One of the most popular (and all-purpose) hashtags on Instagram is #TBT, or Throwback Thursday. For example, Pepsi leverages the hashtag’s popularity by adding a relevant image.

Pepsi adds a throwback picture along with the #TBT hashtag.

When you’re building up followers on Instagram, reach is everything. You need to do whatever it takes to get your content in front of the right audience at the right time. Nothing helps Instagram visibility like a relevant hashtag.

#4: Do Shout-outs for Shout-outs

On Instagram, you might notice people commenting on your photos with the acronym S4S, which stands for shout-out for shout-out. A shout-out is when you promote someone else’s account to your own followers.

Foundr magazine gives a shout-out to @secrets2success to promote them in this post.

To get the ball rolling, look for pages with a similar target audience, as well as companies with a similar or greater following than your page. That way it’s a mutually beneficial situation. To find these accounts, type keywords in the Instagram user search or do a web search for your specialty plus “Instagram accounts.”
After you find appropriate pages, reach out to make a request publicly or privately.
To make a public request, comment on one of the page’s posts.

Request a shout-out for shout-out in the comments, like this user.

Otherwise, send a direct message to the account.
Upload a photo as you would any other image on Instagram. However, instead of selecting Followers, click Direct. Then, type the name of the user you would like to message in search, and select the correct name.

To send a direct message, first upload a photo. Then, click Direct and select the user you want to message.

Add a caption asking if the user is interested in doing a shout-out for shout-out. When this user writes back, Instagram will let you know through a home screen notification.

#5: Vary Caption Length

While Instagram is primarily considered a photo sharing application, some brands use it as a platform for sharing the written word. Each Instagram post allows 2,000 characters for captions, so why not push the limits and try something different?
For example, this post from Instagram includes a detailed description of their Weekend Hashtag Project, along with a compelling photo. This caption with a unique approach has more than 1,200 characters and generated more than 578,000 likes.

Sometimes a long caption is effective, so mix things up. This caption is more than 1,200 characters long and it generated 578,000+ likes.

Don’t underestimate the power of words. If your brand has the ability to tell a story using written words, go for it. Try different long and short captions to see which type of content resonates better with your audience, and pick a winner.

#6: Interact With Other Users’ Content

Don’t just use hashtags to distribute content more effectively, also use them to find like-minded users who do the same thing.
For example, if you’re in the fitness industry, search for hashtags like #Fitspiration or #FitnessAddict. Then engage with users who are sharing content with this tag.

Search for hashtags relevant to your specialty to find similar users. Then, engage with them by following, liking and commenting.

When you like or comment on someone else’s content, the user will receive a notification that shows your avatar and name. In some cases, the user will check out your profile, and, if they like what they see, they’ll follow you and engage with your posts too.

#7: Promote Your Account on Other Networks

After you’ve established a nice presence on Instagram with lots of quality content, share your posts on other platforms. It’s an excellent way to encourage new people to follow you on Instagram.

Share your Instagram content on other platforms to encourage others to follow you there.

Promote your Instagram account on other channels such as Twitter, Facebook and even Snapchat. Get creative with your Instagram marketing. In addition to sharing your Instagram account name or URL, give users a sample of the great content they will only find on Instagram.
Wrapping Up
With more than 300 million monthly active users, it’s no wonder more than 40% of Fortune 100 companies are using Instagram. With the right Instagram marketing plan, you can drive great return for your brand.
To find success on Instagram, commit to creating and sharing images that are interesting and relevant. Engage with other like-minded accounts so you can propel each other to success.

Becoming a Social Media Influencer

Do you want people to come to you for social media advice?
Are you trying to become a social media influencer?
Publishing on social media is a great way to share expert knowledge and develop your influencer status.

#1: Find Your Focus

To become an influencer, master a specific topic within your niche. If you cast your net too wide, it will be difficult to gain the level of knowledge necessary to be considered an expert.
Either focus on one social media industry such as social media marketing or public relations, or on a single platform like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Instagram.
For example, Sue B. Zimmerman (also known as #Instagal) found success in the social media space by focusing on Instagram. She is now the go-to person for those looking for advice on Instagram for business.

Master one topic to become a true expert.

Start small and learn as much as you can about your desired niche through research and experimentation. That way, you’ll be able to discover the ins and outs of your specialty and form your own ideas, as opposed to simply restating others’ opinions. This is a very important step on your way to influencer status.

#2: Subscribe to Platform Blogs

Social media is unique because it is in constant flux. Stay on top of the latest platform updates, such as algorithm changes, new analytics and added features, as they can drastically change a social channel and the way it’s navigated.
Whether you want to be viewed as the authority on a social channel or a broader industry, read platform blogs regularly: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram. There’s no better way to keep tabs on any social media channel.

#3: Read Relevant Blogs Daily

In addition to platform blogs, read other information outlets to gain valuable insights into your niche. Study news, expert opinions and case studies that are published or shared by people you trust.

Feedly makes subscribing to and reading multiple blogs easy.

By using a tool like Feedly to subscribe to a variety of relevant industry blogs, you will benefit from different viewpoints and helpful advice.

#4: Set Topic and Keyword Alerts

Reading press releases, news alerts and relevant posts is key to staying informed. When you know what’s happening, you can keep your followers in the know.
Since it is impossible to keep track of all of the information from platform blogs and your favorite outlets, invest time into creating alerts directly related to your focus. Two free tools that make it easy to stay on top of relevant news are Google Alerts and Social Mention.

Set up alerts to stay on top of the latest news and updates in your niche.

If you hope to be viewed as an influencer, you’ll need to demonstrate that you’re always aware of the latest news. Better yet, know what changes are coming even before they’ve been implemented and clue your readers in.

#5: Populate Your Blog

If you haven’t already done so, create a blog on a publishing platform such as WordPress. Then write blog posts and publish consistently. You should shoot to publish at least two to three times each week.
To stay on track, create an editorial calendar and stick to it.
In addition to your own content, partner with other influencers. Interview them, invite them to contribute to your blog or run a promotion together that gets shared on everyone’s sites.

#6: Publish on LinkedIn

In addition to your own blog, create long-form posts on LinkedIn’s publishing platform. Cut and paste your previously published blog posts and add a headline, image and keywords.
Remember, people generally assume LinkedIn posts are only from the most influential thought leaders. Now, when people in your network and beyond see your articles on LinkedIn, it is likely they will view you as an authority too.

Share your knowledge and get noticed by publishing on LinkedIn.

Through its publishing platform, LinkedIn has created a prime opportunity for influencers to get noticed.

#7: Share Valuable Content

Once you’ve determined your focus and have implemented a system for keeping on top of the latest news and information within your niche, start sharing high-value influencer content with your audience via social media.
If you’re a platform-specific influencer, use that as your primary social network. Utilize the others as well to get even more visibility.
To be considered an influencer, people need to see you as a resource. Consider your audience and share content that they’ll find useful. Post original articles, plus posts from other trusted sources.
Keep your content organized for easy access so if someone asks a question, you can quickly grab content that provides an answer.

#8: Contribute to Other Sites

One of the quickest ways to gain influencer status is to contribute your unique content to other blogs and publications. Guest posting increases your visibility, bolsters your credibility and increases traffic to your own blog.

Writing for influential sites raises your influencer status. Image: Placeit.

Seek out the most appropriate social media websites and blogs, research submission guidelines and reach out.
After your content is published, let people in your network know. Tweet a link, share it on Facebook, tell your other online communities and add it to your LinkedIn profile publications. Also, keep an eye on your article’s comments, so you can respond to any questions or remarks (both positive and negative).

#9: Engage Online

To be an influencer, you need to be seen. Social media influencers regularly take part in relevant conversations across a variety of networks. Attend and participate in Twitter chats and webinars (and host Twitter chats too), answer questions on Quora and share ideas in LinkedIn groups.
Also, engage regularly across platforms. Don’t just tweet, post, comment, like and share. Add your comments and opinions.
Sharing your knowledge is how you’ll truly stand out as an influencer.
Conclusion
If your goal is to be an expert in the digital space and become known as an influencer, there are plenty of things you can do to raise your profile. Develop your expertise and use social media to raise yourself to influencer status.
What do you think? What is your niche? How have you developed your reputation as an influencer? What platforms get the most engagement? In what ways have you engaged your audience and shared your expertise? Please share your thoughts and recommendations in the comment section below.

10 Questions to Ask When Creating a Social-Media Marketing Plan

Creating a Social Media Marketing Plan requires planning and corporate strategy alignment. In the startup world, the busy schedules and multiple activities might not leave a free slot for planning. Because PLANNING is CRUCIAL, here are 10 questions to get you started.

Why is Social Media Important?

Social media creates social media campaigns and devises strategies to build and nurture relationships with your customers.

Understanding social media in China

No Facebook. No Twitter. No YouTube. Listing the companies that don’t have access to China’s exploding social-media space underscores just how different it is from those of many Western markets. Understanding that space is vitally important for anyone trying to engage Chinese consumers: social media is a larger phenomenon in the world’sa second-biggest economy than it is in other countries, including the United States. And it’s not indecipherable. Chinese consumers follow the same decision-making journey as their peers in other countries, and the basic rules for engaging with them effectively are reassuringly familiar.

Surveying the scene

In addition to having the world’s biggest Internet user base—513 million people, more than double the 245 million users in the United States¹ —China also has the world’s most active environment for social media. More than 300 million people use it, from blogs to social-networking sites to microblogs and other online communities.² That’s roughly equivalent to the combined population of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In addition, China’s online users spend more than 40 percent of their time online on social media, a figure that continues to rise rapidly.

This appetite for all things social has spawned a dizzying array of companies, many with tools more advanced than those in the West: for example, Chinese users were able to embed multimedia content in social media more than 18 months before Twitter users could do so in the United States. Social media began in China in 1994 with online forums and communities and migrated to instant messaging in 1999. User review sites such as Dianping emerged around 2003. Blogging took off in 2004, followed a year later by social-networking sites with chatting capabilities such as Renren. Sina Weibo launched in 2009, offering microblogging with multimedia. Location-based player Jiepang appeared in 2010, offering services similar to foursquare’s.

This explosive growth shows few signs of abating, a trend that’s at least partially attributable to the fact that it’s harder for the government to censor social media than other information channels. That’s one critical way the Chinese market is unique. As you shape your own social-media strategy, it’s important to fully understand some other nuances of the country’s consumers, content, and platforms.

Consumers

China’s social-media users not only are more active than those of any other country but also, in more than 80 percent of all cases, have multiple social-media accounts, primarily with local players (compared with just 39 percent in Japan).³ The use of mobile technologies to access social media is also increasingly popular in China: there were more than 100 million mobile social users in 2010, a number that is forecast to grow by about 30 percent annually.⁴ Finally, because many Chinese are somewhat skeptical of formal institutions and authority, users disproportionately value the advice of opinion leaders in social networks. An independent survey of moisturizer purchasers, for example, observed that 66 percent of Chinese consumers relied on recommendations from friends and family, compared with 38 percent of their US counterparts.

Content

The competition for consumers is fierce in China’s social-media space. Many companies regularly employ “artificial writers” to seed positive content about themselves online and attack competitors with negative news they hope will go viral. In several instances, negative publicity about companies—such as allegations of product contamination—has prompted waves of microblog posts from competitors and disguised users. Businesses trying to manage social-media crises should carefully identify the source of negative posts and base countermeasures on whether they came from competitors or real consumers. Companies must also factor in the impact of artificial writers when mining for social-media consumer insights and comparing the performance of their brands against that of competitors. Otherwise, they risk drawing the wrong conclusions about consumer behavior and brand preferences.

Platforms

China’s social-media sector is very fragmented and local. Each social-media and e-commerce platform has at least two major local players: in microblogging (or weibo), for example, Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo; in social networking, a number of companies, including Renren and Kaixin001. These players have different strengths, areas of focus, and, often, geographic priorities. For marketers, this fragmentation increases the complexity of the social-media landscape in China and requires significant resources and expertise, including a network of partners to help guide the way. Competition is evolving quickly—marketers looking for partners should closely monitor development of the sector’s platforms and players.

Crafting a winning strategy

While these unique Chinese market characteristics often create challenging wrinkles for marketers to contend with, they don’t invalidate the principles that underpin effective social-media strategy elsewhere (for more, see “Demystifying social media”). The following few examples illustrate how companies are applying some widespread social-media tenets in China.

Make content authentic and user oriented. Estée Lauder’s Clinique brand launched a drama series, Sufei’s Diary, with 40 episodes broadcast daily on a dedicated Web site. (Viewers also could watch segments on monitors located on buses, trains, and airplanes.) While skin care was part of the story line and products were prominently featured, Sufei’s Diary was seen as entertainment—not a Clinique advertisement—and has been viewed online more than 21 million times. Clinique’s online brand awareness is now 27 percent higher than that of its competitors, although social-media content costs significantly less than a traditional advertising campaign.

Adopt a test-and-learn approach. When Dove China first imported the Real Beauty social-media campaign to promote beauty among women of all looks and body types, Chinese consumers viewed the real women as overweight and unattractive. Dove switched tack and partnered with Ugly Wudi, the Chinese adaptation of the US television show Ugly Betty, to weave the Real Beauty message into story lines and mount a number of initiatives, including a blog by Wudi and live online chats. The effort generated millions of searches and blog entries, increased uptake of Dove body wash by 21 percent year over year after the show’s first season, and increased unaided awareness of Dove’s Real Beauty by 44 percent among target consumers. The estimated return on investment from this social-media campaign was four times that of a traditional TV media investment.

Support overarching brand goals with sustained social-media efforts.Starbucks China promotes the same message of quality, social responsibility, and community building across all of its social-media efforts, as well as in its stores. And Durex didn’t just establish a corporate account on Sina Weibo: it built a marketing team that both monitors online comments around the clock and collaborates closely with agency partners to create original, funny content. The company’s approach is designed to interact meaningfully with fans, generate buzz, and deepen customer engagement with the brand.

The sheer number of the more than 300 million social-media users in China creates unique challenges for effective consumer engagement. People expect responses to each and every post, for example, so companies must develop new models and processes for effectively engaging individuals in a way that communicates brand identity and values, satisfies consumer concerns, and doesn’t lead to a negative viral spiral. Another problem is the difficulty of developing and tracking reliable metrics to gauge a social-media strategy’s performance, given the size of the user base, a lack of analytical tools (such as those offered by Facebook and Google in other markets), and limited transparency into leading platforms. Yet these challenges should not deter companies. The similarity between the ingredients of success in China and in other markets makes it easier—and well worth the trouble—to cope with the country’s many peculiarities.

5 Successful Facebook Marketing Campaigns

Facebook and social media marketing success is often displayed when big brands and stars with millions of fans and deep pockets run a campaign that also attracts mainstream mass media attention.

 

This can be seen with the wildly successful Old Spice campaign that saw millions of YouTube views, Twitter tweets and Facebook likes.

The reality in small business struggle street is that often the big buckets of money are not available and resources are limited. What must also be kept in mind that obtaining more likes in Facebook is cool but what small business really wants is more sales!

So how do you launch a Facebook marketing campaign and make it successful? How do small businesses use Facebook to get big results!

Facebook marketing tactics that work

There are a range of tactics that can be useful for achieving marketing goals but proven tactics that work are:

• Providing gated free content that captures Facebook “likes” and/or emails to build a fan base and subscriber list
• Run a competition (Here is a link to “15 Steps for Creating a Successful Social Media Giveaway Contest” that will show you how to do that)
• Offer a discount or coupon for products and services

The rise and the continuing maturing of  social media has seen the arrival of a plethora of tools and apps that make it easier for businesses and brands to implement marketing campaigns that are simple and cost effective. Constant Contact is one of those companies that offers email and social media marketing tools that make it easy and cost effective to create a Facebook custom tab that produces results.

Here are five of some of the successful Facebook marketing campaigns achieved by companies using their tools.

Facebook Marketing Case Study #1.

Offering something for free is a proven marketing tactic.  The Book Binding Workshop offered a free 248 page hardcover book to anyone that bought $300 0f book binding supplies.

They achieved two goals:

1. An increase in fans from 50 to 650 in just a month
2. Increase in sales of $15,000

image: http://www.jeffbullas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Successful-Facebook-Marketing-campaigns-small-business.jpg

Facebook Marketing Case Study #2

Elaine Topper of BellaSoleil, (a Tuscan home decor retailer) offered a a 10% discount via a special code on a reveal page that clients saw after “liking” the Facebook page . Her email list wasn’t huge at 1,767 subscribers but the results were noticeable.

1. It produced a $10,000 profit
2. Facebook page “likes” grew by 200% in just 3 weeks

 

Facebook Marketing Case Study #3.

Jay McKeever  at Seconds & Surplus offered a coupon that gave a 10% discount after a Fan “liked” the page. Along with that he ran surveys, quizzes and posted photos to increase engagement.

The results:

1. $12,000 in sales directly from Facebook with total sales increase of over $32,000 in one month
2. Increase in the Facebook fan count by 300%

 

Facebook Marketing Case Study #4.

Sometimes brand awareness and postioning your company as a thougjht leader in its industry are the campaign goals. Property Minder a web service firm that specialises in solutions for real estate agencies ran a Facebook campaign that offerred a “Free Download” of a white paper.

The results:

1. 327 new fans
2. 584 downloads of the whitepaper

 

Facebook Marketing Case Study #5

Sugarbush Resort wanted to increase the number of fans on their Facebook page and also grow their email subscriber list. They decided to run a Sweepstakes competition that offered $15,000 in prizes. To enter the competition fans had to enter their email address and “like” the page.

Results

1. Gained 3,000 likes in one month
2. Grew the email list by 2,000 subscribers

 

7 Creative Social Media Marketing Mini Case Studies

This article highlights seven mini case studies of businesses that have stood out by implementing innovative social media marketing practices.

You’ll find inspiration for your social media marketing efforts here.

So let’s dive in!

#1: Sharpie

Sharpie is the permanent marker company. Through social media and other marketing efforts, this company has taken an ordinary commodity and turned it into a common noun.

Sharpie excels on Twitter, but they also make good use of their blog and Instagram and have even formed their own community. Here are some things to learn:

• Mix up your background images. Notice how Sharpie incorporates various images. Over the last four weeks, they have had at least the following three images on display.
  

  Sharpie rotates their profile images on Twitter frequently.
• Spotlight your customers. Smart businesses know that satisfied, loyal customers drive their business. One way to increase loyalty and retention is to focus attention on your customers’ creativity. Sharpie does this through sharing samples of customers’ artwork.
  

  Showcase your customers' artwork.

• Feature case studies. Sharpie makes a subtle double-play on their blog. First, they tell stories about their customers (and what customer won’t go tell their friends to see them featured online?). Second, they use blog posts to inspire creativity from their fans. It’s as if they’re saying, “Who can top this Sharpie Snow Leopard?”
  

  Readers are often looking for inspiration.
  

  Practical how-to instruction guides prove to be popular case studies..

• Start your own online community. This strategy won’t make sense until you reach a certain size, but at some point you may decide to take your audience from the public social networks and create your own unique community. Social Media Examiner recently did this with Networking Clubs. Sharpie invites their community to engage through art challenges where users vote for the best submissions.
  

  An invitation to be creative is all it takes for some people to invest hours with your brand.

#2: HubSpot

HubSpot is a leading B2B company that provides inbound marketing tools for small businesses. A key to their explosive growth comes through a strategic content creation plan.

Notice three different references to free resources just in this snapshot.

HubSpot knows what their audience wants. They write about hot topics (like the post on Pinterest pictured below), they tag their articles based on experience level (see “Introductory” in the illustration above) and they provide a way to listen to their posts through a service called Vocalyze.

Recommendations are an important selling point to site visitors. Notice the prominence given here.

It would be easy to overlook this, but HubSpot also does a great job providing easy access to a variety of social sharing buttons. Notice how prominently those display next to both of the above images.

HubSpot excels at making their brand personal. On their Facebook page, they do this by featuring their employees.

Letting customers see the personal side of your staff makes them more likely to stay engaged with you.

#3: Weapons Plus Martial Arts Supplies

Weapons Plus Martial Arts Supplies is an early adopter of Google+ and has found many creative ways to take advantage of Google’s power.

One of their most compelling elements comes through their use of animated profile graphics.

These three images cycle to create an animated effect on the Weapons Plus Google+ page.

Like any good content strategy, Weapons Plus understands that their audience likes to read reviews of martial arts movies and get how-to instruction on making and using martial arts weapons. They also want to show their love.

Here, Weapons Plus shows a fan sporting a haircut that advertises one of their customers. Now that's showing some love!

Another ninja trick (forgive the pun) exercised by Weapons Plus is to take full advantage of the “About” page to get lots of Google juice. The Recommendations links are a perfect way to tie your Google+ page to your other online properties.

Be sure to make full use of the About tab on Google+.

#4: Evian

Evian is the bottled-water company. They have developed a highly sophisticated YouTube page that is worth studying.

One of the smart things they’ve done is create a pervasive campaign with the “Live Young” motif. All of their images and products reinforce this through the idea of fueling the Evian baby inside (which, of course, needs to drink Evian water).

Evian has connected their various platforms on YouTube—all while reinforcing their core message.

Another excellent idea implemented on Evian’s YouTube channel is a user-generated video. The goal is to create the world’s longest user-generated video. They do this by allowing users to create short video clips that tie into the theme. The technology required to accommodate this can’t be cheap, but all businesses can look for ways to get fans to create content on their behalf.

#5: Openview Partners

Openview Partners is a B2B venture capital firm that helps emerging growth technology companies with startup funding. They have added 10,000 new subscribers through their social media strategies on their blog.

The authors of Openview’s blog understand that good content draws new readers. That’s why they make it really easy and compelling to sign up for their newsletter.

In addition to the ubiquitous sign-up sheet found next to every blog post, the site provides a pop-up invitation to new site visitors who haven’t signed up before.

This pop-up ad uses strong social proof to compel readers to sign up.

Openview employs another smart tactic by making their posts readily available for mobile readers. They do this through a service called Google Currents.

Make sure to service your mobile audience.

A venture capital firm could portray a stiff, conservative image to clients. Certainly they need to convey confidence and stability, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be personable and fun. Openview strikes this balance well by allowing staff to show a professional and a fun-loving photo on their “Meet the Authors” page.

When you hover over an author's picture, his or her bio and a fun picture display.

#6: Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza is a regional chain based in San Diego. They have effectively used social media to grow their audience.

On Twitter, Sammy’s will regularly publish coupons, promote causes and share info for their partners or about important topics.

Use tweets to focus on others or share information your audience would find valuable.

For restaurants, it’s important to present your food favorably. Sammy’s takes advantage of photos on Twitter and videos on Facebook to do this.

Having good pictures shows your audience that you care about quality.

Sammy's has created several videos in conjunction with local news agencies. How-to videos are also popular in the food business.

#7: Small Biz Nation

Small Biz Nation is a partnership between HP and Intel, providing a LinkedIn community for small business owners and marketers. This joint venture demonstrates the powerful potential of LinkedIn groups.

Have a clear description so new members know what they can expect.

Some advantages of creating a LinkedIn group:

• You can advertise directly to the audience once a week, with a high open rate.
• LinkedIn provides robust statistics and moderation tools—HINT: make sure tocreate clear group guidelines.
  

  LinkedIn provides detailed stats on your audience. This helps you know if you're reaching your intended market.

• LinkedIn provides the ability to create subgroups around interests. HP and Intel actually have a group just for those seeking coupons. That’s an intelligent move as these members have now prequalified themselves as being in the market for a deal.
  

  Use subgroups to identify interests and needs of your audience—and allow them to connect based on a narrower interest set.

Objectives of social media marketing

There are many reasons social media can be a productive marketing channel or platform. Rather than emplying it as a tactic du jour, the purpose should dictate strategy and the tactics used for reaching desired goals. A few common outcomes for social media marketing efforts include:

• Gain insight into a community of interest -You can run all the customer surveys you want, but some of the most interesting and progressive market research can be found within the social communities where your customers interact, share information and make recommendations. Tapping into the streams of dialog is a great start to engagement and social participation with your brand.

• Build brand visibility and authority – You’ve heard it before, “Conversations are happening online about your brand, with or without you.” You might as well participate and do so in a way that pays close attention to the interests and needs of your customers – providing them with information and interactions that further support your brand.

• Influence and promotion of products/services – Providing information to educate customers about your products in the formats and media types they prefer can go a long way towards building the kind of buzz that results in new business. By promotion, I mean advertising on social media sites.

• Link building for traffic and SEO – Creating linkbait and promoting it to social media news and bookmarking sites can attract a slew of links from bloggers that read them. However, sustaining high levels of promotion to the same site or with the same user accounts will quickly be outed as social media spam. Creating value for the community is not the only rule, creating value and behaving according to formal and unwritten rules is what sustains social media sourced link building.

• Drive traffic for ad revenue models – Becoming a power user of several social communities involves consistently contributing quality content, rewarding those who vote positively on that content as well as growing a large base followers. That base of like-minded connections can serve as an effective distribution channel for unique and interesting content which drives traffic to ad supported blogs that host the content. The linkbait suggestion above not only attracts links, but also attracts traffic. However, many ad supported sites report that traffic from social media sites is notorious for not clicking on ads. It’s the bloggers that write about linkbait content first viewed on social media sites that drive the kind of traffic which results in ad click throughs.

The mechanisms for putting these strategies into action vary depending on the resources and time allocations a company can make on its own, or when working with an agency. In fact, it is most often due to internal resource constraints that companies outsource social media strategy and tactics in the first place.

Type in “social media marketing” into Google and you’ll get about as many search results (23 million) as there are social media tactics being promoted. As with any type of marketing, social media promotions center around matching content with interested audiences as well as stimulating conversation and buzz. Content can be created from scratch, mashed up or you can “borrow to build” by piggybacking on someone else’s social media success. The key is to listen and participate.