By Janet Yaa Kudor
Selecting the best advertising mediums for your company can be very challenging and stressful. Fortunately, there are so many options available today such as radio, television commercials and the internet. But how do find out which one is the best advertising medium for your company?
For small businesses, the answer is really simple. In an age when everyday gossip has moved from last night’s TV episode to the latest viral video, social media is giving marketing advantages for companies willing to move to quickly exploit a constantly churning internet news cycle.
Social media has so many benefits and has proven how effective it is as compared to traditional media. Some of these benefits include the ability to interact with consumers in a two-way format and also the speed at which new goods /products and services are promoted.
Social media can reach as many relevant people as possible at the lowest cost. It is the cheapest form of advertising and it is the only channel that can communicate with customers, answer their question and provide them with feedback.
These are some social media tools that will make your work more efficient.
If Facebook were a country, it would be the most populous nation on Earth. With over 1.94 billion active users, the platform it provides for promoting your business is immense to say the least. Nearly 28 percent of the world’s population logged in to Facebook in March 2017.
By these numbers, the vast majority of your potential customers and current clients have a Facebook account. It is the ideal platform to learn more about your target group and reach its members, either for free or with effective campaigns. It is also easy for your clients to connect with your customer service. Potential clients can ask questions about pricing, shipping and more. Questions are often direct and customer service representatives can respond briefly and in real time without the hassle of installing a live chat on a website.
YouTube: YouTube is the second most used search engine. You tube creates a huge opportunity for exposure. YouTube is a platform every business owner should consider as a part of their business strategy. This is because; consumers prefer watching a video of your products to reading a lengthy sales letter. Not only is it best for advertising but videos created can also be used to gain trust, authority and recognition for your company.
Instagram: with millions of users, Instagram becomes the perfect channel for brands to get quick messages to their target audience. You can post photos and videos and this will attract customers asking for prices and directions to get the goods. Communication becomes easy since Instagram gives you the channel to communicate with your customers directly.
Twitter is one of the fastest growing platforms. Regular tweeting keeps your profile active which keeps your followers posted on any new item you put on twitter. Make sure your co-workers follows and retweets all posted contents. This engages your followers.
In the not-too-distant future, there will really be no way to separate social media from the rest of the enterprise—it can or will affect not only marketing but customer service, accounting, research, vendor relationships, distribution, and even how products are designed. Figuring out how to manage it well now can give nimble small companies the ability to get out in front of slower competitors.
