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Social media is gaining popularity when it comes to promoting businesses, products and services. More and more companies are directing their marketing and advertising dollars towards online efforts rather than on television commercials for example. A case in point, for 23-years Pepsi spent millions of dollars on the television commercials that would air during the Super Bowl to promote its drinks. In 2010 however, Pepsi did not air a single commercial during the Super Bowl instead their efforts were focused mainly online and promoted through social media.
These big companies are still creating tv commercials but they are also now creating television type commercials but they aren’t being aired on television at all; they’re being aired only online. They are also creating ways to engage with their consumers online through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
What does this mean for small and medium sized businesses? It means that in addition to the standard ways of marketing (flyers, print ads, attending networking meetings, etc), you must include social media in your marketing and advertising budget. Why? Well let me give you an example. I was recently asked by an author what my thoughts were about him spending money on flyers to be inserted into a local news paper in order to promote his book. I asked him one question “Do you read any of the advertising inserts in the newspaper when you get them?” His answer was a simple “no”.
Depending on your target market and the service or product you provide maybe flyer distribution is the way to go. Many people, seniors especially, still rely on information given to them in the form of something that they can hold in their hand, like a flyer, or by talking to a live person one-on-one either in person or on the phone in order to make their purchasing decisions. They are also hesitant to make purchases online as they do not feel that it is secure and would rather get in the car and go somewhere to buy whatever it is they want.
As the younger generations are growing up the shift from those hesitant to making purchases online to those who mainly make purchases online is increasing enormously. With this change comes the need for businesses to change the way they market themselves.
Enter the social media assistant. If you’re unsure of how to maximize your efforts online or just don’t have the time to do it yourself, a social media assistant can bring your business into the realm of social media using various techniques to create and execute your communications strategy, manage customer service, build your brand identity, and increase sales.
Are you ready to advance your business? Our social media assistants are ready to take your business to the next level. Contact us to find out how we can maximize your online marketing efforts without breaking the bank.
