Social Marketing Service Gets a VC Boost

Baltimore-based web developer Brian Razzaque knew he wanted to create a platform that would facilitate social media marketing for companies, but he was vague on the details. social media marketing 2014His "aha" moment came when an employee asked to be notified each time Razzaque posted something to the company blog; the staffer would read the post, then share it with his social network. That was when Razzaque realized that satisfied customers, employees and vendors with a strong affinity to a brand will happily disseminate content among their social peers--if it is handed to them in a convenient, shareable way. SocialToaster was born.Unlike traditional social media marketing that relies on fans to discover and make the effort to spread a brand's message, SocialToaster allows companies "to leverage the mass reach of their supporters by pushing their message out so their content has a better chance to go viral," Razzaque says.Here's how it works: A company's Facebook fans or members of its e-mail database are invited to join the brand's SocialToaster platform. Those who sign on--often enticed by rewards such as tickets or swag--receive an e-mail whenever the brand has something to promote. With one click, these influencers can share the content with their friends across their selected social networks. On the client side, companies can use SocialToaster's dashboard to track the effectiveness of each campaign on a granular level, identifying the messaging that resonates best among their top ambassadors.Tumblr doesn't duplicate all of Facebook's functions," says Shel Holtz of Holtz Communication + Technology.Holtz says he can certainly believe that young users are more inclined toward Tumblr than other social media platforms, best social media marketing but that doesn't indicate they're abandoning Facebook or anything else. Brands shouldn't ignore Tumblr by any means, but they also shouldn't replace other social media efforts.Peter adds that brands should remember that Facebook still attracts about four times more visitors than Tumblr.
social media as a marketing tool

Post stimulating content to encourage conversation

After you've responded to any direct interactions that have occurred since you last logged into your social profiles, marketing by social media take a few moments to post a status update or message that's designed to encourage interaction among your followers.As you create these messages, make your call-to-action obvious, as social followers are often so overloaded with media inputs that it takes a clearly-defined request to encourage action. Pairing your stimulating content with a statement such as, "Let me know what you think" or "Share your thoughts in the comments" can prompt the type of action to make your social profiles appear more welcoming and engaging to potential new followers."Even with lower penetration among the younger demographic, it may be attracting more young visitors in the aggregate," he says. "What's important, though, is how much time those younger visitors spend with the site and where the growth is. And, right now, Tumblr is winning that race.The First Lady of the United States -- or at least her staff -- has joined Twitter again. Mrs. Obama's previous Twitter account, @MichelleObama, which was created a year ago and run by the president's re-election campaign, was shuttered in favor of the new account, @FLOTUS, [https://twitter.com/flotus] which will be managed by the Democratic National Committee. No word yet on how much Mrs. Obama might be tweeting herself, but when she does, her tweets will be signed "-mo."As independent filmmakers have discovered, a fragmented media market doesn't mean you can't connect with people who will love your work. Thanks, of course, to the wonders of social media. social media marketing A panel of filmmakers at the recent Sundance Film Festival discussed how social media outreach efforts -- such as tweet-based promotions and actor-hosted online chats -- had been instrumental to the success of their films. "There [are] 'riches in the niches,' " said director Ava DuVernay, a past Sundance winner. "Segmentation is not a bad thing."

Search for your company's branded terms

One final daily habit is to conduct a quick search for any of your company's branded phrases, social media marketing strategy including any common misspellings or abbreviations you're aware of.Specifically, what you're looking for are instances where users you aren't immediately connected with are mentioning your company's name. These mentions could be left as unsolicited reviews or questions seeking clarification. Either way, proactively seeking them out enables you to connect with potential followers and create the impression of an engaged, customer-centric brand."We very rarely use Tumblr as a tool for writing. If we write something, it's in the form of an image quote or a quick tip in the form of a graphic."Peter says Tumblr is definitely not text friendly."Its sweet spot seems to be short, media-rich content such as videos, images, and, a Tumblr favorite, animated gifs," he says. "Companies well versed in design and media obviously work very well on the site."As Jent noted, Tumblr suits some brands better than others. Notably, brands that work well there have products aimed at teens and lots of visual stuff to show off."Due to the amount of fandom and 'geekdom' on Tumblr, I highly recommend brands that fit into those categories being in this platform," she says. "Our makeup and hair dye are often used in cosplay. Tumblr is how connect to this audience."With that in mind, Jonathan Rick, president of The Jonathan Rick Group, says not every brand needs a Tumblr."It caters to youth brands with niche and savvy audiences," he says. "Of course, if this describes your customer base, then a Tumblr make may perfect sense."Even so, Peter points out that lots of brands-whether they're geeky, for teens, artsy, or none of those-have carved out a niche on Tumblr. Condé Nast Traveler, Standard Hotel, IBM, social media marketing plan American Express Open Forum, Search Engine Land, HIt Record Joe, Disney, Coca-Cola, and Sesame Street all have active presences there, he says."As long as the influencers and individuals you want to engage with are there, it's less about whether it's right for your brand and more about are you connecting with its community the right way," Peter says.

No comments:

Post a Comment