If you’re in business in any capacity, you understand the importance of targeting your market and customer. By knowing your customer’s demographic, psychographic, and geographic traits, as well as their age, values, and buying patterns, you make the most effective use of your marketing dollar. But how or where do you get that information?
To gain insider information about your customers, you need to be where your customers are. But first you have to know who they are. There’s a wealth of information about consumers on the internet. You just need to know where to look. There are companies that provide research data, but that’s a third party statistical approach. Social media serves as a direct, cost-effective conduit between businesses, marketers, and potential customers. You know who they are because you communicate openly with them. But how do you find your customers through social media? Let’s take a look at just three ways.
1. Take A Deeper Leap With Facebook®, Twitter®, and Yelp®.
By now you know that Facebook® and Twitter® allow customers to link-up with your business as friends, letting you know who they are. And friends of friends can take a single “likes this” link viral in hours or days, bringing even more customers to you.
Though the physical distance between people may be great, Facebook®, Twitter®, and similar social media sites are decreasing that distance significantly. The growing number of social media sites is largely responsible for the increasing connectedness between people, bringing to life the theory that no more than six people, otherwise known as the six degrees of separation, connect each person to the other.
Social media outlets like Twitter® and Facebook® also allow for instant communication and problem resolution between you and your customers. If customers have one desire, it’s for instant gratification. The sooner you respond to a customer’s needs or concerns, the happier they will be. In addition, by posting special discounts only available to followers and friends, you create follower loyalty.
Yelp® is a network of people sharing their experiences about particular businesses. Yelp® has become a major social media site and a great place to monitor consumer grumblings and praise. If your business doesn’t have an account on this site, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to discover and satisfy new customers.
2. Utilize blog and video marketing.
More and more companies are realizing the benefits of blog and video marketing. Blogs allow for more detailed communication with customers than Facebook® and Twitter® posts. And YouTube® is the hottest social media communication tool out there. It gives your company a “face” and allows you to convey sincerity, priceless in the realm of marketing. Posted comments identify customers. It’s that simple.
3. Use social media sites to monitor your competitors.
Social media allows you to monitor your competitors. By monitoring and subscribing to competitors’ blogs or newsletters, you stay abreast of recent developments, evaluate their successes and failures, and more importantly, gain access to their customers—your customers. Business is a battleground; and in battle you keep track of your enemy…or your enemy wins.
If you know of other ways to monitor your competitors using social media, leave it as a comment below.
I prefer using social media more to get in contact with customers – potential or actual – than to “spy” on competition. I realize it’s an additional use for it and I don’t discuss on it, it’s probably just a semantic problem, I read blogs of potential competitors without considering them competitors at all. Perhaps I am just too naive.
I too agreed with Gabriele that social media is used to enhance your business & interact with your customers & make them your fan. Instead of spying on our competitors we should seek how they manage to get better customer interactiong or more followers on social media site. We should learn their ethics, their behaviour, moderation etc.
Thanks.
I simply want to mention I’m new to blogs and honestly liked you’re web page. Most likely I’m likely to bookmark your blog . You really have terrific articles and reviews. Thanks a bunch for sharing with us your blog site.
This blog site has lots of really helpful info on it. Thank you for informing me!
Please email me with some hints about how you made your blog site look this good , Id be appreciative!
This blog has a lot of very helpful information on it! Thanks for helping me.
I think one of your advertisements triggered my web browser to resize, you may well want to set that on your blacklist.
Just to let you know your webpage appears a little bit different on Firefox on my laptop with Linux .
I believe that one of your current ads triggered my web browser to resize, you might well want to place that on your blacklist.
Although I actually like this post, I believe there was an spelling error close towards the finish from the 3rd paragraph.
Thank you so much for giving everyone remarkably special chance to read articles and blog posts from here. It can be very excellent and as well , packed with amusement for me and my office colleagues to search the blog at the very least thrice per week to study the fresh issues you have. And lastly, we’re actually astounded concerning the magnificent creative concepts you give. Selected 4 tips on this page are certainly the best we have all had.
The design for your web site is a bit off in Epiphany. Nevertheless I like your blog. I might have to use a normal web browser just to enjoy it.
Focus on necessary quite effective affiliate business how you’ll be able to keep within managing strategies good for your very good web-based provider. alertpay
A motivating discussion about casino and betting agencies is worth a comment. There’s no doubt that that you need to publish more about this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but typically people don’t discuss such issues.Casino on-line bets it’s the most effective and risk-free means to place your bets at this time. The bonuses and promotions tend to be an attractive solution for online poker. You will never obtain all these choices in any traditional casino.
When I originally commented I clicked the Notify me any time new comments are added checkbox and now every time a remark is added I receive four emails with the identical comment.
Brilliant, thanks, I will bookmark you now!
Im getting a tiny issue. I cant get my reader to pick up your rss feed, Im using yahoo reader by the way.
Can you email me with any pointers about how you made this blog site look like this, I would appreciate it.
Im getting a javascript error, is anyone else?
I think one of your current ads caused my internet browser to resize, you may well want to place that on your blacklist.
http://www.localseoforlawyers.com/
Odd , your posting turns up with a dark color to it, what shade is the primary color on your site?
Jesus Christ theres a great deal of spammy comments on this web page. Have you ever before believed about trying to get rid of them or installing a tool?
If you dont mind, where do you host your web site? I am looking for a good quality host and your webpage appears to be fast and up almost all the time
I love your wordpress layout, where did you get a hold of it?
Mira Your Hair Oil Scam — Does This Product Meet Its Claims
Prevent Dry Hair Now With This Particular Amazing Hair Oil
100% natural solution for you to thyroid problems & pregnancy troubles. Should you be worried about your current unborn babys wellness this is the remedy for you personally
Could you message me with any pointers on how you made your site look this cool , Id be thankful!