In the 21st century, where lives are running faster than bullet trains, there indeed is a checklist that we all follow before leaving the house. So, if we ask you what that one thing you never leave your house without, most people would answer our “cell phones.”
What is so special about these miniature smart devices that keep the entire human race addicted?
Built as a medium of communication, nowadays, the cell phone or other smart devices are often used to stay connected personally, professionally, as well as casually over a plethora of social media platforms.
On the business front, social media has become one of the most prominent factors that companies persistently are looking up to with an aim to increase reach and eventually attain the bottom line. Technically, social media is a networking and communications medium that helps businesses create a voice and an image to attract the right kind of audience.
Over the past few years, social media is gearing up at a fast pace. Innovations in this genre of digitization have managed to create an entire generation of people who are desperately dependent on reviews and validation from strangers.
I mean, these days, it is not bizarre to believe a review left by a person on Amazon who has already bought the product you are eying.
However, with all the social media’s do’s and don’ts, its positives and negatives, the platform offer businesses a medium to get noticed in the market and supports business continuity. It does not matter how big or small you are in the market. Undertaking the right practice and the most suitable social media management strategy can be a game changer.
Elements of social media management
It is extremely simple to register your company on Twitter or Facebook, but just doing so will do no good unless the right strategy is put in place for maximum potential.
So, let’s find out what are these elements that make social media management a promising platform for business success.
1. Channel selection and management
Not every social media platform is suitable for every business. Therefore, the secret is to find the right ones that are essential. So, it is wise to analyze these channels based on customer personas, customer behavior, locations, and other factors.
2. User engagement
User engagement can be tracked with the help of a continuous series of interactions between the business and the customer. This can happen in various ways, via face-to-face conversations, emails, or social media. Therefore, user engagement can be used as a primary metric to choose the right social media platform.
3. Online Reputation Management or ORM
Initially, online reputation was considered important only for digital businesses. But today, when the entire world is embarking on the digital journey, online reputation makes a significant difference. And amidst the proliferation of smart devices and uninterrupted internet services, it goes without saying that every business needs to maintain a clean and credible online presence.
As per an analysis by the New York Times, about 65% of business comes from referrals.
Therefore, it is inevitable for businesses to stay up to date when you want your business to do well.
How does social media management workaround at the time of crisis?
It is impossible to predict what can happen in the future. It is not very clear to be sure about how a crisis can hit a business. Well, uncertainty is a part of life and hence needs to be dealt with smartly.
Social media is a dynamic platform that offers businesses an opportunity to communicate with its stakeholders through different mediums. Even in the past, several companies have considered social media management to mitigate a crisis to maintain a good reputation in the market.
Check out how our favorite brands have deployed the goodness of Social Media Management along with some useful takeaways.
It is primarily essential to ask if you are reaching the right audience via the right social media platform? But if the answer is still not clear, do not miss out on understanding what the following companies did right.
1. Cisco
I am sure Cisco, a tech giant, is the last company that comes to mind when we talk about marketing on the social media platform. But how Cisco carried out its social media campaign will leave you stunned.
In the world filled with competition and hustle, Cisco banked upon a social media campaign strategy that gave a promising outlook of the future.
Cisco also made its technology appear more tangible and applicable to the real world. It made IT infra look more relatable to the everyday lives of the target audience. This approach of the tech giant made its social media target presence more compelling and lucrative to its audience via the internet.
Basically, the positive approach associated with the social media campaign nailed it for the company as it was able to rightly fit with the context of what the audience was expecting to view in their news feeds in terms of technology.
2. GoPro
GoPro, one of the most versatile camera makers, has 17.2 million followers on Instagram and more than 10.7 million on Facebook with the popular GoPro hashtag (#GoPro). While this company makes the most of its social media presence, it has been operating on a strategy that creates value, advertises products, and interacts with customers.
Present on a variety of social media platforms, GoPro strategically uses the social media platform differently.
Here is a sneak peek into how the company works around with its social media management.
Facebook: GoPro works on this platform to reach out to newer clients and connect with the existing customers.
Instagram: The fact that the company produces an out of the world range of cameras, it uses this platform to showcase the camera quality by engaging users and promoting its posts.
Twitter: Known for its professional quotient, GoPro uses this platform for official stuff such as announcements and news.
YouTube: This digital platform is used by GoPro to educate users about the operations of the product.
3. Nike
Nike – Just do it!
Well. None of us can ever think of Nike without the powerful tagline that summarizes it in just three words but has an everlasting impact on our minds.
A pro in shoemaking, Nike is one such brand that makes the best use of social media. With more than 114.4 million Instagram followers, 33.3 million Facebook followers, and 8.2 million on Twitter, it gives the company a strong social media presence.
How do they use it to reach the bottom line?
Nike says it differently. Instead of focusing on the product, the sports brand focuses on athletes and sports teams to draw the attention of its audiences. It showcases how the people who use the product make the brand.
Nike uses the Facebook platform cautiously and moderately secured for big campaigns. On the other hand, its Instagram page is followed for inspiration by a huge number of users. Additionally, Nike makes it a point to use the popular #justdoit hashtag for traction.
4. Wayfair
Wayfair, an eCommerce home décor company, makes compelling use of the social media platform for advertising and selling its products online.
On the Instagram account, the company offers users tips and inspirational ideas related to home décor.
Additionally, the Instagram page makes it easier for users to have a look at products offered by the company. The Instagram functionality helps users click on the photo that redirects them to the website where they can have a detailed look at the product and make a purchase. This helps improve user experience and adds to the seamless shopping experience.
5. National Geographic
National Geographic, an American pay television network, aims at using the social media platform to meet user wants and needs. The company uses these channels to blend its social media platform with beautiful and breathtaking images by adding informative content. Additionally, its Instagram account that proudly boasts of 138.8 million subscribers, draws immense engagement from its audience, which mostly comes from the photo community.
The motive of the company behind its social media strategy is to primarily understand its audience and offer them what they are looking for.
Conclusion
Social media management is not a myth. It has the potential to make a considerable difference to the existence and way forward for a business. But at the same time, understanding what suits your business needs is another challenge. Hence, experts recommend hiring social media management companies that can professionally take care of your business needs. Find more such content and information in our latest whitepapers on social media marketing.
