Social Media Best Practices
I recently had the opportunity to speak about Social Media Best Practices at the Jersey Shore Tech Meetup and decided this was a great topic to translate into a series of blogs over the next few weeks.
What is Social Media?
Social media can be described as a blend of online technology and social interaction. It allows users to connect with the people, websites, & brands that they value most. It’s a two-way conversation vs. one-way broadcast like traditional media and provides businesses the opportunity to promote, listen and respond to clients and customers in real-time.
Social Media Research Has Revealed
Why is social media so important for companies and brands? Research has revealed:
- One of every four minutes spent online is spent on a social site or blog (Nielsen, 2010).
- 81% of respondents said they received advice from friends and followers relating to a product purchase through a social site (Click Z, 2010).
- There are over 901 million monthly active Facebook users (Facebook.com 2012).
- 77% of consumers said they interact with brands on Facebook primarily through reading posts and updates from the brands (Mashable 2011).
Media Types
Traditionally there are three media types: Owned Media, Paid Media, and Earned Media. Social media is changing the way companies and brands are using these media types.
Consumers Trust Earned Media
It turns out that customers trust earned media. A recent report from Nielson indicates that:
- Earned media sources remain most credible.
- 92 % of consumers around the world say they trust earned media, such as recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising.
How Do You Create Earned Media?
So how do you create earned media? It’s all about engagement; earned media is grown organically with Likes, Shares, and Comments. Create engaging content, and people will interact with your brand.
Research shows that people tend to share what they have a strong emotional or passionate connection with or something that provides them with a benefit (discounts, contests, etc.). When sharing occurs (Likes, Tweets/Re-Tweets, and Pins), your message is maximized, thus creating earned media.
Get your audience talking by posting images, videos, and questions. Ask for Likes, Comments, Re-Tweets, Pins, etc. Keep in mind that the quality of your audience is more important than the quantity. You could have 200,000 Likes on your Facebook page, but if your audience isn’t engaging with you, does it matter?
What has been your experience with earned media? Do you have any additional tips and tricks to share?
