Join us at Entrepreneur magazine's Growth Conference, Dec. 15 in Long Beach, Calif. for a day of fresh ideas, business mentoring and networking. social media marketing dallas Seats are limited--Register now to secure your spot and receive exclusive reader rate .Want to sell a hamburger in India? Go ahead, McDonald’s did. But Mickey D’s menu in India doesn’t have any beef. That’s right, the famous Mac in India is the Chicken Maharaja Mac.There’s no beef because the traditional McDonald’s menu doesn’t work in India where for so many the cow is sacred, according to their culture. McDonald’s had to do something different to launch its brand in India. The same is true for businesses entering the new cultures of social media. Businesses need to show respect for each platform. But remember, Facebook's culture is based on personal relationships. Nothing says, “I have a desire to be unfriended” like posting a billboard about a business in the middle of a user’s posts from real friends.
This is a subtle yet powerful distinction. First of all, this approach helps remedy the problem of brands appearing disingenuous. learn social media marketing A brand can never authentically be a person, but a person on behalf of a brand can certainly be authentic.Another benefit of approaching social media this way is that having an individual “break the fourth wall” (when actors break character and acknowledge the audience) of a typical branded account opens up the potential for all kinds of self-referential and ironic humor that resonates strongly with online audiences.Businesses often make cultural gaffes on Facebook. Rather than appreciating Mr. Zuckerberg’s domain as one with a culture that holds personal relationships as sacred, businesses are quick to use traditional marketing methods such as billboard-style advertising, paid or unpaid and post messages like “Sale happening today!” or “Check out our new merchandise!” It’s like going to the bar with some buddies and having one interrupt, “Buy from me!” That kind of cultural faux pas on Facebook will get you unfriended fast.
Instead, stay relational on Facebook. When your business posts a message, make it warm and relatable. social media marketing agencies Have at least one real person like the CEO or a vice president post on the company’s behalf. Recent research indicates people are more willing to make a business referral if they know the owner on somewhat of a personal level. you may find customers by searching for people who are looking for what your company has to offer. My recommendation: Stay clever with the words you choose. People ask for services or products in a variety of ways .So get out there and post personable updates on Facebook. Don’t be shy about friending potential business leads on Facebook, not because you want to sell to them but because you hope to develop a real relationship. And relationships developed on social media can lead to referrals, just like those enhanced on the putting green. There are plenty more examples of this basic strategy being used for a variety of different brands.
for example, LinkedIn may not be the best choice for engaging on social media. What does all this mean? social media marketing applications Social-media platforms are cultures. Know the unique language, unwritten rules, norms and expectations that will get you blocked from the culture instead of embraced. Think culture, think people and you won’t end up trying to sell a Big Mac in India. The nice thing is that this strategy is very flexible and can work for all kinds of organizations. From brands as serious as NASA to brands as silly as Skittles the key to their social media success is that they don’t pretend to be anything they are not.Part of the reason this strategy is so effective is that the pervading culture of the online world is dripping with irony. Hashtags are literally self-referencing, memes are nothing more than constantly evolving inside jokes. Hyperbole is employed so often that saying you “laughed out loud” at something really means you found it slightly amusing. Tapping into this ironic culture can be a powerful tool for brands.
This is a subtle yet powerful distinction. First of all, this approach helps remedy the problem of brands appearing disingenuous. learn social media marketing A brand can never authentically be a person, but a person on behalf of a brand can certainly be authentic.Another benefit of approaching social media this way is that having an individual “break the fourth wall” (when actors break character and acknowledge the audience) of a typical branded account opens up the potential for all kinds of self-referential and ironic humor that resonates strongly with online audiences.Businesses often make cultural gaffes on Facebook. Rather than appreciating Mr. Zuckerberg’s domain as one with a culture that holds personal relationships as sacred, businesses are quick to use traditional marketing methods such as billboard-style advertising, paid or unpaid and post messages like “Sale happening today!” or “Check out our new merchandise!” It’s like going to the bar with some buddies and having one interrupt, “Buy from me!” That kind of cultural faux pas on Facebook will get you unfriended fast.
Decide whether to play on Twitter and Pinterest
Having a successful social-media strategy also involves choosing which cultures to play in. importance of social media marketing Pinterest offers a straightforward example: Since nearly 80 percent of Pinterest's users are women, companies with a male target market may not want to engage on that platform. Twitter offers another example. If a company has fame or cachet like Apple or Starbucks even if only at a local level, people may want to follow it on Twitter as a way of claiming a connection or hearing what the company has to say.But if a company lacks fame, it better have something valuable to say on Twitter. Otherwise, tweets become unwanted fluff appearing among a user’s more coveted remarks from other Twitter contacts. It’s not easy to attract the right followers and retain them. Learning how to use Twitter involves trial and error and you will have to experiment over time. In one regard, Twitter may be good for every business: All tweets are searchable. So whether you use the Twitter search bar to hunt for potential clients or a platform such as Hootsuite to track down folks.Instead, stay relational on Facebook. When your business posts a message, make it warm and relatable. social media marketing agencies Have at least one real person like the CEO or a vice president post on the company’s behalf. Recent research indicates people are more willing to make a business referral if they know the owner on somewhat of a personal level. you may find customers by searching for people who are looking for what your company has to offer. My recommendation: Stay clever with the words you choose. People ask for services or products in a variety of ways .So get out there and post personable updates on Facebook. Don’t be shy about friending potential business leads on Facebook, not because you want to sell to them but because you hope to develop a real relationship. And relationships developed on social media can lead to referrals, just like those enhanced on the putting green. There are plenty more examples of this basic strategy being used for a variety of different brands.
Consider LinkedIn as home turf for business
If you're in doubt about how to adapt to all the various social-media cultures, know that LinkedIn offers a safe, search and social media marketing business-friendly culture. First tip-off: LinkedIn is a natural fit for most businesses because contacts are called “connections.” Also, photos used on LinkedIn are professional (no bikini or birthday cake shots) and a person or company’s LinkedIn page resembles a resume or portfolio, all fodder for the business realm.Yet it’s important to remain respectful of LinkedIn's culture when you engage on that platform. The goal is to post items of real value not engage in brazen self-promotion.Although it's comfortable for businesses to engage on LinkedIn, check the platform's demographics to see if there's truly a match. According to Quantcast.com, LinkedIn stands out for its social-media culture of users with education and wealth. Although financial, consulting and service industries may have an advantage on LinkedIn, the retail industry may be at a disadvantage, depending on the product. For companies selling lower-cost retail merchandise business.for example, LinkedIn may not be the best choice for engaging on social media. What does all this mean? social media marketing applications Social-media platforms are cultures. Know the unique language, unwritten rules, norms and expectations that will get you blocked from the culture instead of embraced. Think culture, think people and you won’t end up trying to sell a Big Mac in India. The nice thing is that this strategy is very flexible and can work for all kinds of organizations. From brands as serious as NASA to brands as silly as Skittles the key to their social media success is that they don’t pretend to be anything they are not.Part of the reason this strategy is so effective is that the pervading culture of the online world is dripping with irony. Hashtags are literally self-referencing, memes are nothing more than constantly evolving inside jokes. Hyperbole is employed so often that saying you “laughed out loud” at something really means you found it slightly amusing. Tapping into this ironic culture can be a powerful tool for brands.
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