The Psychology of Social Media, Part 1: The Phenomenon

The Psychology of Social Media, Part 1 The Phenomenon

At its core, social media isn’t as much about technology as it is about people and what makes their minds work. The psychological connection between social media and marketing is critical–perhaps even more than previously thought.

(This is part 1 of 3 in our Psychology of Social Media series.)

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon and you’re settling in for some much-needed social media downtime. First, you open Facebook to browse the latest updates from friends and family, then head over to Instagram for some visual inspo. Finally, you end on Pinterest, where your eyes eagerly devour the newest trends and enough delicious recipes to last for months. It’s relaxing, inspiring, and visually stimulating. But is that all?

With each trip down social media lane, you take away something more than eye candy: behind each interchange is a story. We don’t merely post fashion trends, recipes, and photos– we post connections.

But who are the players posting these connections? What platforms are they using? When are they using them and, most importantly, why? And how can you, as a business owner, use social media to your advantage? Let’s take a journey into the psychology of social media. The importance of finding out what governs your audience has limitless value to the prosperity of your business.

The Who, What, When and Why

Who

The Key Players Using Social Media

Data tells us age, gender, and location for the people who tend to use each social media platform, as well as the percentage of people who use social media as a whole.

As you can see, almost 80% of people in the United States use some form of social media. On a global level, the number of worldwide social media users reached 2.34 billion this year and is expected to grow to some 2.95 billion by 2020. Knowing how many people use social media is a powerful indicator of the tremendous influence it has in our day to day life.

What

What social platforms are most utilized?

To communicate and socialize are some of the defining characteristics of us humans. What social platforms do we communicate on the most?

Instagram has jumped ahead to be the third most popular platform with an ever expanding lead over Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Continuing to lead the pack, though, are YouTube and Facebook.

When

When are people using social platforms the most?

This answer isn’t quite as cut and dry as the others. When often depends on the platform being used.

You can guarantee, though, that at any point during any given day, someone is posting something on some social platform. Just take a look at what happens every single minute on the internet! Social truly never sleeps.

The Big Why

Why are we so hooked?

Social media is so much more than mindless distraction. It is a world within a world indicative of our innate needs to exchange ideas, express ourselves and make connections. Social media reconnects us to an essential part of ourselves and to the elemental roots of what really makes us tick. Let’s dive deeper into the psychology behind 4 essential “why’s” that drive our social media usage.

1. Why is social media so addictive?

As Psychology Today reminds us, humanity was a race of hunters and gatherers until around 10,000 years ago. Humans spent 99% of their million years on earth doing just that – hunting and gathering (Gray, Psychology Today). It stands to reason that our basic instincts are still shaped from this way of life. Though the times of foraging are long past, our impulse to act on these intrinsic needs is very much intact. As simplistic as it may seem, having platforms at our fingertips like Facebook and Pinterest activates sub-conscious impulses that result in an emotional buzz-like satisfaction. Searching and finding on social media is like finding a deer and bringing it home.

Business Takeaway: Each of us instinctively wants to hunt, gather and track… something. So give your audience something to discover.

2. Why are we tethered to our devices?

I don’t think any of us would deny that our culture is obsessed with getting instant results. (A line at the bank? *eye roll*!) Social media is the perfect answer to our “now now now” society. It allows us to skip waiting by getting everything we want at the click (or swipe) of a device. This is perhaps the reason we jump at every ping, ding, jingle and whistle our devices make.

Given constant stimulation fulfills some of our most basic needs. But more than that – what urges us to instantly check our devices the moment we hear a techno chirp is the allure of knowing who wants to interact with us. Our devices keep our minds constantly stimulated while simultaneously gratifying us with the ability to be heard and feel needed.

TIP!

For business to initiate stronger connections with a target audience, follow these guidelines:

– Respond to comments, tweets, and any connections people make on your business social media platforms.
– Jump into conversations where you can add value — just don’t get spammy!
– Stimulate your consumer base through your own content.
– Pay attention to your target audience’s content and use that as a connection base.

Business Takeaway: At our core, everyone desires connection and contribution. Remember, we all love attention!

3. Why is social media so appealing?

Lets get back to the basics. From birth, we are born as emotional beings whose state of mind is typically first demonstrated through facial expressions, followed by verbal expression. This demonstrates the basic core need for emotional expression. Emotional expression has a new outlet, though, and its name is social media. Dr. Paul Ekman, a leading figure in social psychology, suggests that there are 6 basic universal emotions regardless of language or culture. This theory has recently been whittled down to 4 basic emotions, and research is finding that social media taps into each of them (sci-news.com).

For years, social media has been a premier way to touch, tap into, and share moods across a broad range of topics. It might surprise you to discover how interconnected emotional outlets of social expression and business marketing really are. Here’s what researchers found: through data analysis of the IPA dataBank, case studies from 1,400 successful advertising campaigns revealed that campaigns with an emotional content performed almost twice as well.

Business Takeaway: Get emotional!

4. Why are we drawn to some things more than others?

I know we’ve all heard the expression that content is king. Though there is some truth to that statement, science has found that emotion is even more contagious than content! Positive emotion tends to be the driving force behind the majority of things that go viral. Psychology Today found that negative posts on social media resulted in only 1 re-share, but positive posts gained an average of 4 or more! It’s not only a positive message, but a positive emotional connection that is important. For example, a smiley face is happy, but lacks the emotional trigger of a video of a baby giggling hysterically. Tap into both.

Business Takeaway: Keeping messages positive and funny will give you greater impact and expand your viewing audience.

Request more infoBreaking It Down: What does it all mean?

The psychological component is behind every social platform. Allow it to inform your digital marketing with understanding and insight into what motivates every like, share or retweet.

So return back to your lazy Sunday. As you browse each social platform, see each with new eyes. See that behind each face, each filtered photo, and the visual eye candy, there is a narrative. Notice why you like or share one image or idea over another. It’s evident that each of us are sharing much more than a video or an image; we’re sharing the emotional connection that valuable content creates.

Read more…

In Parts 2-3, we dive into the last question remaining: how. With a new understanding behind the who, what, when and why’s of social media, we take a deeper look at how the psychology behind social media can cultivate your business and take it to new heights. Click here for part 2!

The Importance of Content Marketing for Oil and Gas

Jemully Media importance of content marketing for oil and gas

Photo Credit: Stock Pic Shop

EXPLORING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT MARKETING FOR OIL & GAS

Technology is everywhere. We have our Netflix, GPSs, self-driving cars, and even cameras on our doorbells. We have DVRs to fast forward through commercials and satellite radio so we don’t have to listen to radio announcements. We only pick up a magazine or a newspaper if we are waiting at the doctor’s office or barber shop. And when it comes to websites, we are so adept at online surfing, we’ve fully trained our minds to tune out website banners completely. So what value would a practice like content marketing have to the businesses that serve the oil and gas sector?

SAVING BUSINESS ONE PIECE OF CONTENT AT A TIME

It’s time to acknowledge that most consumers have become capable of completely disregarding the “noise” of most marketing efforts. That’s why content marketing is imperative. Content marketing essentially is blogging. But, it is blogging that creates and curates unique, relevant content that customers will find useful and valuable. It’s a strategic approach that doesn’t explicitly sell or promote your brand, but instead stimulates interest in your product or services. In short, content marketing is the art of communicating with potential customers without directly selling to them. In the end, this creates customer loyalty and higher retention.

On average, it takes around 7 touchpoints for a customer to remember you and your brand. Content marketing ensures that each of those touchpoints is maximized to create experiences that truly matter and ultimately, help rein in more sales.

THE NECESSITY OF CONTENT MARKETING ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES

Behind every great brand is a wealth of valuable and relevant content that really connects with the company’s audience. Content marketing has become a necessity for any modern brand and is at the heart of most successful digital marketing campaigns. Your audience wants to know that they are dealing with experts who know the ins and outs of the industry, and that’s exactly what content marketing provides – a platform to demonstrate expertise in the field while providing valuable information to your audience. The oil and gas industry is no exception. Your business depends on you being a trusted expert in your field.

CHANGING THE GAME: CONTENT MARKETING IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

You may be thinking “Yes, but is content marketing really that relevant to the oil and gas field?” The answer is ABSOLUTELY. James Hahn, owner of Tribe Rocket, sums it up nicely in The Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Oil & Gas Operators Make, ‘…our industry is at an inflection point. New technologies aren’t just changing the way people live, they are changing the way they think.’ People in oil and gas tend to have a very traditional mindset that says, “I need to meet people in person to build relationships and grow my business.”’ This poses a huge problem, though, as our world has become more and more digital, where consumers rely mostly on websites and social media as their first source of contact with brands. This means that building relationships with potential consumers has dramatically changed as their first encounter with you more than likely will not be face-to-face. As time has gone on, and technology has advanced, traditional business card marketing techniques are being superseded by those who are venturing into promoting their business on digital channels. The game has changed, and in order to be relevant, you must follow the tide. Content marketing has become the bridge connecting the traditional age to the tech age, merging them into a seamless digitization of old school, “good ol’ boy” marketing. It’s not out with the old – it’s simply the promotion of the old in a new and relevant way.

OK GREAT! BUT HOW?

Take a look at one of  our favorite articles on the how-to’s and the benefits of content marketing. The 80/20 Rule of Content Marketing

FOLLOWING THE LEADERS

See how easy it is to create valuable content for your audience? Take their lead, and get ready to jump in with both feet! It may seem intimidating to face these changes, but digitization provides pragmatic solutions to today’s challenges. Help your audience rise above the noise and see beyond it… help them see YOU! It’s this mindset that will set you apart as an industry leader, a leader who is reaching for what’s next. (Because isn’t what’s next what really matters?) Don’t just take opportunities—make opportunities. Harness the power that content marketing provides. Are you ready? Your audience is waiting for you. Reach out and grab them.

SEE EXAMPLES OF SOME OIL & GAS DIGITAL MARKETING LEADERS 

For more on some of the digital marketing leaders in the oil and gas sector see our Digital Done Right: Following the Leaders report.

Let’s talk about your content marketing questions.

Request more information or give us a shout.

info@jemully.com

REQUEST MORE INFO

The Lowdown on the Marketing Budget for Oil & Gas

Jemully Media the lowdown on the oil and gas online marketing budget

THE LOWDOWN ON THE MARKETING BUDGET FOR OIL AND GAS: HOW TO BREAK IT DOWN

It’s your job to figure out how to get your phone to ring. For weeks you have been trying to figure this out. You lean forward and tap your keyboard to wake up your computer.”Maybe I’ll just Google it.”

Getting a website to show up on Google search results is a lifeline to any business today. As we visit with folks in the industry, we hear a couple of common refrains. First, there’s a shortage in the workforce in O&G. On top of that, your good guys get poached. You lose ’em because they are hired away by your competition.

And, second, if you are an oilfield service company, you gotta keep getting new business to keep the doors open, or the trucks running, or the guys busy.

GOOD TIMING

As for the first need, finding the people you need to connect with is not as hard as you might think. In fact, as the workforce in the oil and natural gas industry continues to get younger, reaching out will just get easier. According to a recent study by the American Petroleum Institute, millennials (those roughly 22 – 38 years old) are already well represented in the oil and gas industry. Today they are one third of the workforce, and performing in every role. From managers to engineers to procurement specialists, these guys (and gals) who have grown up online are rapidly becoming the people you need to reach. And the API study predicts that by 2025 this group will constitute 41 percent of a company’s payroll.

What does that mean for you? You just need to show up in the places where the millennials are. And, that’s online because they carry the Internet in their pockets.

Fortunately, this is a really good time to develop your online presence. Because, honestly, most of your competitors have not. (See our recent report on the digital footprint of 100 oil and gas companies working in Oklahoma.) They have ignored their websites and not used their social media. Maybe the web wasn’t important before. But, that’s not the case today. Now, it is not only important, a web presence is vital. The good news is – the neglect by your competitors is your opportunity. Jump ahead of them and get out front. Beat the competition and position your company as the leader. Let them be the ones to play catchup to you.

HOW TO DIVVY UP THE MARKETING SPEND: TRADITIONAL THOUGHTS

Okay, now you know why the web is important – because more than 1/3 of the workforce eats, sleeps, and lives with their mobile devices in hand. How should you spend a marketing budget to reach them?

As a start, we do not recommend that you totally reject traditional advertising. Let’s look at a few. The phone book? No, that’s last century. But, what about trade shows? Yes, trade shows still bring you some value by getting your team face-to-face with folks. Then, what about advertising in trade publications? We are still a fan of trade pubs. Ads can deliver you exposure to your targeted audience. And ads can build your brand with them.

THE DIGITAL DEMAND

So, what about digital? This is where you need to put your biggest investment because there is more long-lasting value for your promotional spending. We’ll explain that a little later.

Do you need a website? Yes, without a doubt. A website is your hub. It’s the place where you are in total control of the branding and message about your company. Go deep here. What about social media? Yes, millennials (and their spouses) are on social media every single day. You want to show up where they are. Paid digital advertising? Yes, you will need to do some paid digital advertising on Google and on social media to help your content be displayed to the right people.

Now, here is our the recommended overview of how you should break out your marketing spend:
  • 30% – Website/SEO/Content Marketing
  • 30% – Social media management
  • 20% – Trade shows
  • 10% – Trade publications
  • 10% – Paid digital advertising

BREAKING DOWN THE DETAILS

WEBSITES – 30%

The biggest portion of your marketing budget should be devoted to building your website and promoting it “organically.” This means that you want to develop strategies that will get people to come to your site “naturally” rather than through “artificial” methods, these latter being paid advertisements.

Organic marketing encompasses a variety of practices that flip the right switches so your website content shows up on Google’s search results page. These practices include SEO, adding content regularly to your website, building links back to your website, and good social media engagement. All of the “organic” marketing practices offer a strong payoff over time.

Social media management – 30%

Next, an equivalent amount of your marketing budget should be spent on social media. Here you want to develop a following on three different social media platforms. Your following consists of employees, potential employees, stakeholders, business partners and relations, and others interested in the oil and gas sector.

Gineers Now magazine’s article about marketing for oil and gas recommended utilizing these social networks for the industry:

Linkedin is best avenue for brand building and lead generation. There’s a gamut of oil and gas engineers, managers, and leaders who are frequently browsing on their news feed. Twitter is the best medium for spreading your latest news while Facebook is your best medium to engage with your stakeholders and employees.

A consistent presence on social media is an important ingredient in a successful digital campaign. Depending on your company’s needs, the platforms you concentrate on may differ slightly from others in the industry. However, for the progressive in mind, consider Instagram. Especially consider Instagram if your audience is Millennials. Many in the 22- 38 age group prefer a daily dose of Instagram over some of the other social media platforms.

How frequently should you post on social media? Daily is optimal. Posting every day with a variety of content types will keep your followers interested and engaged. If you hire a content marketing team to take care of your content development, they can manage the regular releases on your website and your posts to social media. Moreover, they can build momentum on your networks and deliver a solid return from an ever-growing loyal audience.

Read this article for more information about social media for companies serving in the oil and gas industry.

TRADE SHOWS – 20%

Where traditional marketing is concerned, setting up a booth at a trade show is still a good way to get your name out in front of industry-related people. It allows you to get acquainted with new folks – especially business connections. The trade show expense is encountered in the cost of booth space, booth branding/signage, manpower, travel, food, collateral, and swag. After the event, about the only thing of value that continues to promote your business is your beer koozie, multi-tool, or keychain. The greatest value of trade shows lie in the connections made during the show.

TRADE PUBLICATIONS – 10%

Like trade shows, trade pubs are another opportunity to reach a targeted niche. The optimal value here comes when you run advertising consistently in the publication. Notably, there are some traditional advertising stats that say potential customers need to see an ad seven times before they buy. Some research takes that point even further and indicates that you have to see an ad seven times before the ad is even noticed. Whichever stat is correct, the key takeaway is that consistency and frequency in your advertising is important.

PAID DIGITAL ADVERTISING – 10%

Google Adwords and paid social media ads are the counterpoints to the organic marketing mentioned earlier. Organic marketing requires time. It takes time to build a repertoire of content that answers pertinent Google queries. Content must be well-woven with industry-related keywords and phrases so Google knows when to show your webpage (as opposed to your competitor’s webpage) to answer someone’s search question.

Paid ads are the “artificial” (as in not “organic”) way to get in front of your search audience. They give you the opportunity to buy your position on the Google results page. Your Google ads will target your audience using your industry keywords and phrases so you can jump ahead of your competition.

Similarly, to get your name and your content in front of your audience on social media, these days you have to “pay to play.” Most of the social media sites force businesses to pay for ads that boost those businesses’ content so it will show up in their followers’ news feeds. With some social media sites – notably Facebook – one might be obliged to pay just to reach more of the news feeds of one’s own followers. Or the effort might get you into non-followers’ news feeds. Either way, you’re helped. But you’ve “paid to play.” And, while there is an on-going expense involved, social media ads allow you to rifle-shot-target your audience so you don’t waste advertising budget by delivering your ad to people who are not interested. Social advertising is sophisticated and can get you in front of the right audience on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

MAPPING OUT THE BEST PLAY

The investment in a website, content marketing, and social media keeps on delivering results. Unlike the paid advertisements that stop working when the ads stop running, the content that you put on your website and social media is a valuable resource that can be viewed weeks, months, and years after it is posted. In fact, as your content development increases your digital footprint, it increases the value of your business in the eyes of Google and in the eyes of your consumers.

For further reading on oil and gas marketing

Here are some of our most popular content on marketing for the oil and gas sector.

Instagram Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s and Don’ts of Instagram for Business

In the current era of marketing, businesses have begun to rely fully on online exposure. Being on Instagram since 2010, I have witnessed firsthand the changing trends in profiles and lifestyles, as opportunities to be creative have taken over and allowed room for more compelling ideas and posts. Instagram has allowed individuals and businesses to take their presence to the next level through the many creative aspects that are offered. When managing your business’s Instagram, there are certain things to consider in order to exceed in the realm of online presence. Consider this list of “do’s and don’ts” to be our Instagram best practices guide.

DO

Have a Plan

When creating an Instagram page and wanting to take your online businesses presence to the next level, creating a social media marketing strategy is essential. The plan that is created will be the foundation for all future posts to come. When coming up with a plan, it is important to identify who your target audience is, and research what would attract them to your businesses Instagram. Once you have created your social media marketing strategy, stick to it!

Create an Aesthetic

I find myself attracted to businesses on Instagram that maintain an appealing grid pattern. To achieve an engaging Instagram account, consistency is key. Once you create an aesthetic, don’t let one post ruin it. Keep up the aesthetic by planning posts ahead of time and by using high quality images. Followers and potential customers pay attention to consistency and are attracted to a brand that can upkeep and manage it.

Use Instagram Stories

Stories has been one of Instagrams most impactful changes to date. Businesses that take advantage can really thrive on this platform. Through Instagram stories, businesses have many opportunities to take their brand to the next level. By implementing Instagram stories in your social media plan and posting relevant content, you can establish a connection and build trust between your brand and your followers.

Audience Engagement

It is important to make your brand personable, rather than an automated account that’s just going through the motions. There are many ways for a brand to engaged with its social audience. Replying back to comments is one of the most effective methods that customers appreciate. You can also create audience engagement by posting giveaways or also asking for customer feedback. My favorite way to connect to a brand is through Instagram story polls. Asking for opinion and giving customers the chance to help you out by providing input helps create a feeling of involvement and trust.

Use Instagram Ads

There is nothing wrong with spending a little extra money to boost a post. I cannot tell you how many times I have been sidetracked by an Instagram ad (that was successfully targeted to me) and ended up making a purchase. Instagram ads can help you reach your brand goals, whether that means increasing sales or just boosting brand awareness. Instagram allows you to hone in on your target audience and plan out how much you want to spend. By putting in the extra effort and money, exposure and sales will have great opportunities to grow.

DON’T

Over-post

DO NOT OVER-POST. Do not be that annoying brand that posts 10 times in one hour. By over-posting, your followers will feel spammed and over-loaded with content. Set a schedule, and stick to it. Consistency is key.

Let Your Branding Stray

Being inconsistent with your brand message can lead to miscommunication and confusion for your followers. One of the biggest mistakes that businesses make on Instagram is posting irrelevant content just so they can post. To avoid this happening, plan posts out in advance so you aren’t scrambling to come up with filler content.

Lie or Mislead

Posting content that is partially true will mislead followers into thinking the post is 100% true. Misleading followers into incorrect information will weaken the trust they have in you, as a business and as a brand.

Delete Negative Comments or Reviews

Never, never, never (did I say never?) delete negative comments that are posted by customers. It will come back to haunt you. React to negative comments by taking the feedback into consideration and use the opportunity to respond back in a positive manner.

Forget About Analytics

Keeping track of your Instagram analytics allows you to track your progress and gives you the insights you need to make necessary changes. To forget about analytics is to forgo these opportunities. By viewing analytics, you can track followers and engagement that your brand has attracted. Taking advantage of the many analytical tools at your disposal will give your social campaigns the ability to stay nimble and continue growing.

Do you have any other Instagram rules you swear by? We’d love to hear them!

The 7 Deadly Sins of Online Marketing

7 deadly sins of online marketing
Sin is defined in the original biblical language as “missing the mark.”  It is we when do not live in a way that embodies the goodness for which we were made. A “deadly” sin could be further defined as being so far off the mark that our behavior becomes damaging to the point of being destructive. When we apply the term “deadly sins” to the topic of marketing, it means we are “missing the mark” and even partaking in some practices and behaviors that turn out to be destructive to our objectives and goals. Could you be committing any of the 7 deadly sins of online marketing?Continue reading

6 Marketing Lessons from Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte

Look to the person on your left. Now look to the person on your right. One of those two people bought a pumpkin spice flavored item within this last year.

In 2017, one in three people picked up something pumpkin-y, propelling the pumpkin-infused industry into a $361 million dollar business. And the most popular pumpkin product of all? You guessed it: Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. Today, that velvety flavor of Fall has elevated Starbucks’ spicy sips to a whopping $500 million craze!

Continue reading

The Simple Guide To Business Promotion

Just the phrase “business promotion” can make people feel overwhelmed. Often times, it’s hard to even know where to start. That’s where we come in. For me, the easiest way to understand anything has always been to first break down the basic concepts. For business promotion, that means breaking down the 4 basic types of promotion. Identifying and understanding what they are and what their key differences are will create a strong foundation. After all, promotion should be much more than just information; it should result in revenue for your business. Understanding the different ways to promote your product or service can help you make the right choice for your business.

So, what are the 4 main types of promotion?

The four types of business promotion are marketing, PR, advertising, and branding. The end result? Brand loyalty.

  1. Marketing

Key Words: Drive, Push

*Driving your product or service in order to push people to buy.*

Marketing is a process by which a product or service is introduced and promoted to potential customers. In other words, marketing is when you drive the message or physical product to your consumers.

Marketing vs. Sales

Though similar in style. Marketing is not the same as sales. Though they share similar tactics, you must remember that they are two separate entities. By working in tandem with a strong sell, a sound marketing message will serve as your sales enabler. When marketing, you will promote the product while communicating and educating potential customers. Marketing thus becomes your brand ambassador in support of your sales team.

  1. Public Relations (P.R.)

Key Words: Relate, Earn

*Relating in such a way that you earn media coverage and promotion.*

Public relations (PR) is the way organisations, companies and individuals communicate and relate with the public. PR is all about building relationships to advance, promote, and benefit the reputation of you yourself and your business as a whole. The goal of PR is to communicate a positive message in order to gain support. It can lead to strong community presence, a growing customer base, lasting partnerships, and even financial support. Above all, P.R. builds the credibility of your organization.

  1. Advertising

Key Words: Display, Pull

*Displaying your message or product in such a way that you pull consumers in.*

Advertising is the process of capturing public attention through paid messages or information which helps promote or sell a product, service or brand. It is a process of mass promotion which involves audio or visual messaging. Advertising educates the public and attempts to persuade customers to buy and use your particular product or service. Advertising creates awareness and helps increase demand.

  1. Branding

Key Words: Knowledge, Association

Branding is the sum of your audience’s perception of who and what your company is, as well as your company’s customer service and your company’s reputation. Branding goes way beyond just a logo or graphic element.

Brand Loyalty (The Goal)

Key Words: Lifetime Results

Brand loyalty is the result of all your hard promotional work. Brand loyalty is a consumer’s emotionally-charged decision to continually purchase a specific brand. How does this happen? Brand loyalty happens when customers believe your brand will exceed all others. When this happens, he or she begins to identify with your brand on a personal level.

Bringing It All Together

Think of Nike.  Here’s what each type of business promotion looks like for them.

Marketing:

“Nike is the #1 selling athletic shoe in the United States.”

In this circumstance, by telling others how successful Nike is, you are driving them towards your brand and pushing them to try it themselves.

P.R.:

“Nike was named the official shoe brand of the NBA.”

By reporting that Nike has now been named the official shoe of the NBA, you are telling customers as well as potential partners and investors that your company walks the walk and doesn’t just talk the talk. What’s more, the sponsorship of the NBA makes Nike relatable to sports fans and athletes everywhere. This also gets you valuable media exposure.

Advertising:

“Find your stride with Nike. The next NBA star just might be you.”

By displaying such a clear and compelling message, Nike successfully pulls in consumers, both new and old.

Branding:

“Nike improves my performance on the court and makes me feel like I can do anything.”

If someone is wearing something with the Nike logo on it, its immediately seen and known. What’s more, thanks to successful marketing and PR campaigns, Nike has become associated with success and athleticism. Nike is thought of as “empowering” and has become known as the go-to brand for getting extra hops on the court.

Brand Loyalty:

“There’s no other brand for me than Nike.”

There are a lot of athletic shoe companies on the market, but as a result of outstanding promotional efforts, Nike creates lifetime fans who will wear nothing but products baring the Nike name.

So what does this mean for you?

This means promoting your business is vital for its success. Without promotion, there are core functions that your business can’t perform. By incorporating these basic methods, though, a chain reaction begins. Clients are suddenly informed and engaged. Services and products begin to sell and your business begins to grow. What’s more, your customers are sustained as relationships and trust are built. The bottom line? Without promotion, no one can know your business.  So be known! Reach your goals. And stand out from the rest. 

Why People Follow Brands on Social Media

Amidst the low quality selfies, hilarious pet videos, and mouth-watering cooking tutorials, social media users in recent years have found a new kind of post on their feeds. This post, if done right, simultaneously advertises and entertains, capturing the user’s brand loyalty as well as their spending dollars. Brands, realizing the opportunities that come with social media, have pounced on the chance to put their products or services directly in their customers’ news feeds. With 78% of consumers relying on companies’ social media posts to help them make purchasing decisions, according to a study done by Forbes, it’s not all that surprising that people would choose to mix their social sharing and shopping research on the same platform. But what compels a user to follow a brand in the first place?

Why do people follow brands? Incentives

As much as we’d like to think that consumers are following our page for a good laugh or the informational content we spend hours producing, it turns out there is a little more to it. Before they can become a loyal and engaged user, there has to be good reason for them to click the “follow” button. A whopping 56% of social media users surveyed by MarketingSherpa said they originally followed brands to see promotions or coupons regularly. In a similar vein, 44% said they followed to enter a contest, get a discount, or win a gift card. Evidently, many are most interested in what companies have to offer them.

Incentives really serve two purposes. First, they attract new users to follow your account, buy your products, or (ideally) both. Second, they keep loyal customers coming back again and again – an equally important task. Discounts or promotions serve as reminders to consumers, positioning your brand at the top of their minds.

Why do people follow brands? Content

According to the same Marketing Sherpa survey, less than half of all consumers (38%) follow a brand for their informational content. Those how-to posts, reviews, and tip sheets you slave over? Apparently they’re not as alluring as the twenty-percent-off coupon that takes you a few minutes to throw together. Even fewer (31%) follow for entertaining content such as funny videos, memes, or bits of pop culture. But don’t let this discourage you, as informational or entertaining content serves its own purpose in attracting and keeping the right customer. As we discussed in our 80/20 Rule of Content Marketing post, all of your social media efforts are in vain if you are not aware of and catering to your target market. While a discount will get you a new follower, your content is ultimately what will determine whether or not they stick around after the promotion is over.

Good content is what turns your brand’s account from a bulletin board of coupons to a social page where users can stay engaged.

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In the delicious and complicated soup that is social media marketing, it’s important to remember that each ingredient gives your social platform a different flavor. Pushing out too many incentives can make your brand seem impersonal, but too much informational or entertaining content might allow customers to forget that you have something to sell them. Striking a balance between the two gives you the best chance of accomplishing the dual goal of attracting a large following and keeping them coming back for more.

Factors Impacting Your Social Media Management Costs

Which major factors can cause social media management costs to go up (or down)?

Social Media costs go up and down as your social media needs change. There is no “one size fits all” approach. However, there are some factors that impact the social media costs to fluctuate. Being armed with the knowledge can help you plan and prepare strategically for times when you need the budget to fluctuate.

  • Strategy
  • Frequency of posting & engagement
  • Quality of posting
  • Scope of creative services (graphic design, video creation/editing, writing service)

 

1) Strategy

Before a social media campaign’s frequency, quality, and creative services can be determined, a strategy must be developed. How detailed should your social media strategy be? Social media strategies begin with determining the specific target audience, selecting the right platforms to reach that audience, and then defining the goals, how you will measure success, and actions are considered a conversion. These aspects can be as general or as highly detailed as you see fit, but they must both be in place to effectively determine your social media costs. In our experience, we believe the more detail in your strategy and plan, the better your execution will be, and the better you can control the social media costs in the future.

For our comprehensive guide to defining your target market, click here.
Goals, Measurements, Conversions – What are you looking to achieve with your social media campaign? Knowing your goals will help your social media team (whether they are in-house or an agency) put together a strategic plan to accomplish the goals. Some goals to consider are:
    • increasing followers to boost brand awareness and website traffic
    • engagements and interactions including comments, likes, shares, re-pins, lists, etc.
    • customer service and answering customer questions through social media messaging
    • lead generation through sign-ups, downloads, phone calls, brick-and-mortar visits, etc.
    • online sales

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7 Proven Steps to Defining Your Target Audience

Jemully Media free target audience checklist

Download Our Free Target Audience Checklist.

It starts with the right questions. It ends with the right answers.

Here is an example of how the scenario goes in our agency. The table was set with the usual fare: fruit, cheeses, and a touch of something sweet (usually a muffin or two). Along with small porcelain plates, the notepads and pens were positioned by each place. The flat screen was displaying the company website. When we finished the get-acquainted pleasantries between our team and our new client, I directed the conversation to the purpose of the gathering—learning about his target audience.

“Thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself and the background of your company. So, as we begin to formulate a marketing strategy, help us understand exactly who is your target market—your ideal customer—for the business?”

“Everyone,” he replied with a little chuckle as he glanced at each person around the table, looking for signs of affirmation. “Everyone needs what we sell.”

Every week our team sits down with business owners who participate in a similar scenario. It is our team’s goal to learn about each company so we can help the owner develop a strategy for growth. The answer to the common question, “Who is your exact target audience?” is one of the first questions a business owner should answer. The description in this answer impacts the effectiveness of whatever game plan is implemented. Not only will the answer be a guiding factor in the channels the business uses for the promotions, but it will also influence the content of the message that is going to be communicated.

When the first answer to the audience question is big, and wide, and inclusive, it is our job to ask more questions that will begin to draw smaller and smaller circles on the target. The final result of the questions and answers will be a central sphere that encompasses just the right persons for the product.

Defining the target audience for your business.

If your answer to the question is similar to the one we often get—”everybody!”—then our free seven-step checklist is for you. This checklist is our series of questions we use with clients. You can take this tool and answer the questions as they apply to your business. This set of questions helps you sift through the whole world and shake out which type of potential customer will benefit most from what you offer. After answering the questions, you will have a clearer picture of who the ideal customer is for your business. Knowing your ideal customer will help you focus your marketing efforts so they are tailored to reach the right segment of “everybody” who needs your product.

OUTLINING THE TARGET AUDIENCE PROCESS

In our free Target Market Checklist, you will work through a simple process of answering questions about your business that will help you:

  1. Define your brand and your niche.
  2. Define your unique value proposition.
  3. Describe your ideal customer.
  4. Describe what your ideal customer needs most.
  5. Craft your brand promise.
  6. Choose your marketing channels.
  7. Define your goals and measures.

We appreciate your interest in our Target Market guide! With this checklist in hand, you are well on your way to hammering out an effective marketing plan. Sometimes, knowing the right questions to ask is just as important as having all the answers.

DOWNLOAD THE CHECKLIST

To get your free downloadable PDF version of this content, simply fill out the form below. This form will also subscribe you to our newsletter where you will get access to other useful marketing tips. Don’t worry, we won’t overload your inbox, just our newsletter a few times a year with more helpful tips and links to some of our popular blog posts!

More resources for refining your target.

After you you answer the questions on our checklist, you may want to refine your audience even more. Additionally, we recommend some competitor research as well. Here are some resources that will help you take a deeper dive in your strategic planning.