There seems to be some stigma when it comes to a few of the social media platforms available and using them for business. Marketing is changing rapidly and social media marketing is thriving, not just for millennials but for audiences of all ages. There’s so much more to social media marketing than Facebook and LinkedIn can offer, and although not all platforms are appropriate for all industries, there are some social media platforms that can take your business to the next level, even ones you may have never considered.
Snapchat
Snapchat has a bad rep for private-related pictures and goofy selfie-taking by young adults; however, some businesses are now taking advantage of Snapchat as a relationship builder with their consumers. It can provide great results with minimal effort. Although the main demographic is between the ages of 13 and 23, more businesses are utilizing this app as a way to get their products out there, share exclusive deals to followers, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the company, sharing promotions with valued customers, and creating a new way to build relationships with their younger audience. However, if your audience is not targeted around younger generations, Snapchat will not give you the ROI to benefit you.
Snapchat’s new update features a Discover section where 12 different brands share what’s new and trending, giving Snapchat users new daily information. Some of these brands include Cosmopolitan, Comedy Central, CNN, Yahoo, and National Geographic.Food Network is one of the 12 brands on Snapchat Discover. They are effectively using Snapchat by providing recipes from their chefs, featuring Q & A’s with chefs, quizzes, and what health foods celebrities are eating.
There has been some controversy regarding Instagram over the past few years with their terms of use, the sale of illicit drugs, and allegations of censorship. Instagram is way more than just teenagers taking selfies with different filters or countless pictures of food. There are plenty of businesses using Instagram to show their followers new products, a behind-the-scenes look at the business, or even events going on that the business is a part of. Celebrities use Instagram to show their fans an exclusive, inside look in the life of the rich and famous. People love feeling like they are part of something special, and Instagram does just that.
Here are several of the brands using Instagram for their business: Allison Family Chiropractic, American Express, Vevo, Macy’s, Sharpie, and NFL.
Sharpie is applying excellent use of social media marketing on Instagram because they are showing what you can accomplish with the use of a Sharpie marker. It takes a lot of creativity to make an Instagram for permanent markers effective, but Sharpie does an excellent job of this. Sharpie’s Instagram is full of art made with Sharpie markers from their fans. Sharpie is also interactive with their fans, as it shows in this photo from their Instagram page asking fans how they use Sharpie markers.
Some people associate Pinterest with wedding planning, finding recipes, and DIY crafts; however, there is so much more to it than this. It is often overlooked because of the common misconceptions about Pinterest being only for girls and middle-aged women or even that it isn’t very popular, but these are all very untrue. Yes, the majority of Pinterest users may be female, but over a fifth of users are male, which means you could be overlooking it’s potential for the male market. Also, Pinterest is growing faster than any other social media platform, so the misconception that it is not very popular is just a misconception. Pinterest is not a social media platform for every industry; it has a very specific market, so for some businesses, it makes perfect sense, while for others, not so much. It all comes down to who your audience is.
Businesses using Pinterest as a social media-marketing tool: Yocum Realty, Don Jenkins Jeweler, Chobani, Etsy, and General Electric.
Chobani is effectively using Pinterest as a social media marketing tool by pinning new recipes using Chobani’s products, inspiration, and fitness motivation. Since there are a number of people who use Pinterest for finding new and exciting recipes for all types of occasions, this is a great way to market their products. They also include a board for all things motivational called “Love This Life”. Here are just a few examples of boards Chobani has made on their Pinterest page.
Needless to say, there will always be stigma when it comes to social media from people who don’t know much about a certain platform or don’t use it. Facebook and Twitter are great for getting your marketing plan started, but you can bring in even larger results with some, if not all, of these mentioned above when the time is right.
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