As Business Insider writes, successfully implementing social media marketing ideas is the key to small business success in 2014. Why? Quite simply, businesses need to go where the customers are, and with Statistic Brain estimating that more than two-billion people use social media, Facebook, Twitter, and other sites represent key marketing opportunities. Further, with 200% more web users using Facebook and other social media platforms to find local businesses than those relying on search engines, it’s no great mystery why businesses, yours included, need to be effective on social platforms.
Of course, that’s often easier said than done. Many small business owners are looking for smart social media marketing ideas, only to find that the well has run dry. If this sounds like you, you’re in luck. By following four of the biggest trends in social media marketing for small businesses, you can find success in 2014.
2014’s Biggest Trends in Social Media Optimization
- Customers Expect Rapid Customer Service
- The Integration of Social Media Tools with Email
- The Big Two Are Losing Ground
- Newsworthy Content is Key
As statistics from All Twitter show, consumers are tired of waiting forever to get a response on social media when they make a complaint or sing a brand’s praises. In fact, 42% of social media users say they expect a response within one hour. If they’ve taken to social media to complain, 72% expect a response within that hour. In other words, you need to make an effort to show your social media followers that you’re listening, or you risk losing face and revenue.
E-mail marketing remains one of the most powerful marketing tools, despite the fact that it’s one of the oldest. According to Social Media Examiner, 68% of marketers say that a good e-mail campaign is crucial to their advertising success. In 2014, using e-mail to promote your social media campaign and vice versa makes for a powerful marketing combination that increases the effectiveness of both campaigns. Synergy is the name of the game here.
While, as Business Insider writes, Facebook and Twitter account for 75% of the content that is shared on social platforms, other services are quickly gaining ground on the big two. Content sharing on Pinterest and LinkedIn jumped by 19.2% and 15.1%, respectively, in Q4 2013. With analysts estimating that Pinterest is the fastest growing social media platform out there, you need to make an effort on more than just “the Book” and Twitter.
Just as journalists use a technique known as newsjacking to make their content timely and relevant, one of the best social media marketing ideas for 2014 revolves around doing the same for your company’s content, as Inc.com suggests. For instance, if you run a gourmet food service, you should be looking to weigh-in on stories about new food safety laws, trends in your industry, and other related news. Doing so, you may just be surprised how much your social media presence and website traffic increase.
Like all marketing methods, social media management is a dynamic field. You’ve got to stay ahead of the latest trends if you want to survive. Now that you know what you need to do, you can do more than merely survive — you can thrive.
