The world of Social Media has really come into its own in the past 10 years, with a range of organisations now offering users various ways to share their lives, loves and interests with their friends and family. Between Instagram, Twitter and, of course, Facebook (just to name a few), there has never been a better time to market your newest product online, for virtually no cost at all.
When users socialise with their friends, they also like to share the latest thing they’ve bought or something cool that’s just hit the market, so why not make the most of this when launching your new product? If you are planning on using social media to market your new product, however, there are a few things that should be remembered.
Find a Balance between Education & Entertainment
This is one very important marketing issue that many new companies do not devote enough attention to. Both education and entertainment are equally as important as the other.
While you want to entertain your audience to grasp their attention, you also want to educate them about your new product, without sounding dull. It’s sometimes difficult to find this balance, but if you consider each post you upload as to whether it educates, entertains or both, you’re on the right track to finding your balance.
Interact with your Followers
People love recognition – it’s a fact of life. If someone comments on a post you’ve made, make the effort to connect with them by responding – after all, they’ve taken the time out of their busy schedule, so why shouldn’t you? Some people may simply post on your wall or comment on a photo to say how much they like your new product, be sure to at least like these posts and, if you can, also interact with the person.
When someone asks a question about your new product, be sure to respond in a timely matter. The communication you have with people via social media is just as important as the communication you have with customers via your website or in-store.
Update your Profile
The world of social media is an every changing one. Everything online moves twice as fast as things in “the real world”, whether it’s reviews on your product, new information or posts from competitors.
To keep the attention of your followers, it is crucial that you update your profile regularly, with new posts, information about the latest deals and even the contact details for your company.
Create an “Image” for your Product & Show your Personality
It’s important to remember that there are a lot of people out there selling the same thing as you. For instance, hundreds of companies sell electronics, but you’ll always go back to the same brand because of what they convey or how they’re perceived on the streets.
Creating an image for your new product comes through showing your personality to potential buyers. E-cigs start-up company BLACKHAWX, for example, have created a specific image around their product. Sure, they sell electronic cigarettes, like many other companies, but what sets them apart is the image they project via social media. People buy things because of how it makes them feel – remember this when choosing how you want your company to be perceived on social media networks.
Giveaways
Everyone loves to win something – especially when it’s completely free. Social Media provides companies with a chance to gain more exposure for their product with giveaway draws.
On Facebook, for instance, many companies have competitions where followers simply have to “like”, “comment” and “share”, for their chance to win. While this only takes a few minutes for the follower and is quite inexpensive for the producer, “sharing” provides the opportunity for more exposure, through various avenues.
Follow best practices
Business owners and marketers who are using social media as their marketing channel have done the trial-and-error – so you don’t have to. With that said, you need to follow the best practices.
Takeaway
The key to mastering marketing on social media is to stay one of the hottest topics. If people are talking about you online, your product is going to get the exposure you need. Remember to always update your profile regularly with the latest news on your product or even a cool picture that you like, to let your personality shine through.