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By Sandra Gudat From Marketing Profs You've spent valuable time and money building your customer base, and you've also worked to amass a growing community of followers on your social media channels. But have you integrated those efforts in an effort to expand your customer base, keep current customers engaged, and increase profits? Without a plan, your social activity runs the risk of turning off customers instead of tuning them in, derailing corporate objectives, and tarnishing your company's reputation. If you don't have a formal program, you can tweak these ideas to help build customer loyalty, in general. After all, social media is your chance to engage with your audience, and you can leverage that engagement by trying out tactics to see what works.

Excerpt from an article by Krista Garcia To read more, visit   eMarketer "According to an April 2018 survey of US internet users by verification services company SheerID and Kelton Global, more than two-thirds of respondents said an offer just for them is more important than a promotion sent to everyone, and 94% would take advantage of an offer that wasn’t made available to the public at large. What would these consumers do if they were given an exclusive offer? Nearly half said they would make a purchase sooner than normal, while 41% would look for products to buy so they could use the offer, and 38% would treat themselves to something they wanted but didn't really need. This would be the nudge to make a purchase, but fewer would spend more or buy a more expensive product. As many studies have shown, consumers want personalized offers, but they also want control over how much a brand or retailer knows about them."

From eMarketer For the most part, Facebook users haven't stopped using the social platform following the Cambridge Analytica revelations. In fact, in its Q1 2018 earnings report, the social media giant showed no sign of users—or advertisers—abandoning its platform. And according to a recent survey by Thomson Reuters, nearly half of US Facebook users said they haven't changed how much they use it. Interestingly, over a quarter of respondents said they use it more, while fewer report using it less (18%) and only 1% said they deleted their account. Still, there are some who are concerned about their personal data and how it will be used. When asked why they're sharing less content with friends and followers on social media, 47% of Facebook users said it was because they have privacy concerns.

From eMarketer : A new survey finds that many consumers worry about how much personal information they've shared online. Indeed, a January 2018 survey of internet users in Western Europe and the US by digital identity management service provider ForgeRock found that more than half of respondents are concerned. What's more, they regret sharing different types of personal information online, particularly the sensitive kind.

From jeffbullas.com : In 2014 I wrote an article titled “Why You Should Forget Facebook” The main premise of the post was that Facebook was reducing its organic reach. In fact, the numbers showed it was trending to zero. So…. we dived into why using Facebook for organic and free traffic was becoming a waste time and you maybe need to forget it for earned attention. It was rapidly becoming a pay to play platform. The big promise that drew me to social media was that you could reach the world without paying the gatekeepers or begging for attention. They were the media moguls and book publishers to name just two. So I was disturbed and annoyed by this trend. So where are we today? We now have new gatekeepers.

From Forbes : Social media provides a powerful tool for outreach: Companies can share stories, talk about events or offers, or discuss services or solutions with interested customers or potential clients. But not every small business has set aside the time and money to establish an online strategy or presence. 12 Forbes Agency Council members share their top tips for small companies to improve their social media presence. Utilize the little time you have on social media to understand your customers and address their needs, not to promote your product.

From eMarketing : Small-business owners are often constrained by limits on resources as they balance different needs competing for a slice of finite budgets. But new research from business and marketing services provider G2 Crowd found that despite potential financial restrictions, marketing remains a priority for these decision-makers. In March, G2 Crowd surveyed small-business owners and managers in the US. (The company defined a small business as one with 250 or fewer employees.) Some 24% of respondents said they planned to prioritize investments toward marketing and advertising in 2017. That was more than the number who planned to concentrate funds on other areas such as sales personnel, new facilities, and software and other IT systems. Social media platforms have emerged as popular marketing channels for small businesses, according to G2 Crowd’s poll. It revealed that 80% of respondents used Facebook for marketing purposes, while a little more than half (51%) turned to Twit...

From MarketingProfs : Consumers say they are most likely to trust online influencers who come across as credible and who appear to have actually used the products/services incorporated into their posts, according to research from IZEA. The report was based on data from a survey conducted in 2016 of 1,000 consumers age 18-70 in the United States who use social media. Some 67% of respondents say the credibility/believability of an influencer is highly important in making sponsored posts effective; and 64% say it is very important that the influencer seems to have actually tried the product/services incorporated into posts. Less than half of consumers say an influencer's popularity/follower count makes sponsored posts more effective.

From Bplans : So, you know by now that having a presence on social media is important for your business. Not only that, you’re interested in the potential benefits of social media marketing, and you’re getting a sense of what marketing on the various social media platforms entails. Maybe.. marketing your small business on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube... The trouble is, you can’t do it all. Unless you are planning on creating a position within your business for someone to take charge of your social media accounts, focusing on any social media marketing is going to come out of your time. As a small business owner, that time is precious, so it’s important to put it to good use. Ultimately, you’ll have to choose which social platforms to focus on—you won’t be able to do it all. While you may intuitively know right away that some are a good bet and that there are others you’d rather avoid, I’ll go over a few questions to ask yourself before you pick.

From Bplans : Have you ever discovered a mention of your business on social media and thought, “How should I respond to that?” If the post is negative, you may be especially anxious to answer that question. Should you delete negative comments, respond with a counter-argument, or ignore them altogether? The flow chart [at the link] offers a helpful way to evaluate social media posts, and provides a response strategy for each. Remember, what goes online stays online, and your response to posts on social media should positively reflect the mission and values of your small business. Before you respond to any negative post, use the flow chart as a quick reference to help cooler heads prevail. Above is another response chart, not from the article.

From MarketingProfs : The other day, a friend of mine put her job and professional reputation at risk. Sadly, it wasn't for anything as significant as standing up for human rights or even bunny rights. No, it was a Facebook post: a shared image that was intended to be a funny political meme but, instead, offended many of the people who saw it. Should she have shared that post? Could she have lost her job? Might the issue have been avoided? Were people just being overly sensitive? Let's explore those questions—and others. So that we're all on the same page, let's start with what I mean by "political post." To my mind, there are two kinds: implicit and explicit.

From eMarketer : A leaked document published by The Guardian outlines the guidelines Facebook is using to monitor big topic issues like violence and racism. Saying “#stab and become the fear of the Zionist,” for example, would be considered a credible threat—and Facebook moderators would be able to remove that particular content. But saying “kick a person with red hair” or “let’s beat up fat kids” is not considered a realistic threat of violence. Similarly, videos featuring violent deaths will be marked as disturbing, but will not always be deleted because they might raise awareness about issues such as mental illness. Clearly, there are gray areas in the way content is handled. What the leak has done is shed light on one simple truth: Publishing mammoths like Facebook and Google (which has also experienced its share of controversy over content) can’t currently provide 100% brand safety. At scale, user-generated content provides too great of a challenge. And this doesn’t ne...

From eMarketer Retailers, still struggling to adjust to millennial shopping preferences, face a new wave of disruption from the youngest millennials, with Gen Z in their wake. While there are some similarities between the youngest millennials and their older predecessors, there are also distinct differences, according to an Accenture survey of nearly 10,000 consumers ages 18 to 37 across 13 countries. For instance, while Facebook remains the most popular social platform for both younger (21-27) and older (28-37) millennials, YouTube is actually the most regularly used social media platform among the very youngest group, those 20 and under. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the younger shoppers said they regularly use Instagram, compared with only 40% of the older ones. Echoing other survey findings, the study found the younger group was twice as likely as the older millennials to use Snapchat. Why does their social media preference matter?

From eMarketer : Influencers are taking an increasingly large chunk of the digital ad market, and many individuals with hefty, engaged social media followings are charging top dollar to work with brands to spread the word about their products and services. Guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) require sponsored posts on social media to be tagged as ads. However, influencers and content marketers have very different levels of awareness about these guidelines, according to a survey conducted by Lightspeed GMI and Research Now for Izea. The study found that six out of 10 US influencers polled in September 2016 said they’re aware of or understand the guidelines, and another 23% said they’re aware of or at least somewhat familiar with them. Only 11% of marketers reported being aware of or having an understanding of these guidelines, while 23% said they’re “somewhat familiar.”

From eMarketing : It's no surprise that millennials' social media time is mainly spent on smartphones. But what about older folks—are Baby Boomers and older users mostly mobile when it comes to social? Turns out, the answer is yes, if not quite to the same extent. According to Q3 2016 data from Nielsen, even those age 50 and up spend the vast majority of their social media time on mobile devices.

From Business 2 Community : You’ve raised capital, built a website, and opened the doors to your small business — now what? Raising awareness for your business and promoting it are essential for ensuring your success and thankfully that task is now easier than ever. With an estimated 78% of Americans now on social media these sites and apps have become go-tos for entrepreneurs looking to engage with customers and potential customers alike. However today it’s no longer enough to just be on social media. Recent changes made to how these platforms display content have been detrimental to small businesses — even those with large fanbases and followings. That’s why small business owners should seriously consider advertising on these networks in addition to their typical posting. Not only have many of the top social networks made it easy for entrepreneurs to target the right users and consumers for relatively little money but new opportunities for businesses to promote themselves are ...

From SBA Facing the task of building a social media following for your small business can feel like an uphill battle. What’s the use of wracking your brain to create engaging content when you have just a few dozen followers? If you create a social media post, and there’s no one to read it, does it even matter? Have faith, new business owner. It is worth your time to build and nurture your social media presence even when your business — and your online audience — are small. Take some of the drudgery out of creating social media content by remembering what sort of content you enjoy seeing online. What makes you smile or teaches you something you want to share with a friend?

Set up the basics Create a logo you love and a description that clearly, powerfully and simply explains what you're going to do. Include an email for people to contact. Then, create a landing site that briefly explains what is "coming soon" and a place to capture emails. We used Launchrock, which took under 10 minutes to set up. Plan your content You're going to need lots of quality content that reflects your brand. It's important to create a look that people will recognize as your own. Keeping this in mind in the beginning will also make it a lot simpler to decide what to post. We wanted to feature moms with their kids and share their stories. Now this is what people expect when they come to our feed. Be mindful of the fact that Instagram is a photography driven platform and images need to be clear, beautiful and interesting. Remember that timing matters To ensure you are posting at the best time of day for your market and reaching as many people as you can,...

When most marketers and business owners think about the advantages of social media for their business, they think about attracting new customers to the business. Smart business owners and marketers focus on relationship building, either through regular content marketing or by having conversations with customers who are already familiar with the brand. Straightforward and effective, this type of strategy has helped thousands of businesses spark new life into their marketing campaigns—but I believe social media has a much broader potential for business development and customer retention. Customer service is evolving to match the rapid growth and development of new communication media, and today’s most popular social media platforms are the perfect opportunity to capitalize on that trend. When today’s customers try to get in touch with a customer service representative, they encounter various challenges: *Find and call a phone number. Unless the number is immediate, just finding the nu...

7.9% say they are likely to purchase products advertised on mobile Mobile shopping and advertising have caught on quickly in the US. While younger mobile users appreciate the convenience of smartphones for shopping, baby boomers are less sure. And they're a lot more sure they don't like ads on their devices. Read more at: emarketer