Retailers need to sign up and log on for effective social media marketing
It's very rare these days to come across someone who doesn't have a profile on at least one social networking site. Logging onto these platforms has become something that many people do daily. While the sites started out as a way for individuals to stay in touch with friends and family as well as connect with other people, these networks are now making their way into the business realm.
Retailers across the world have taken notice of social media and what it can do for their operations, whether in the form of improving customer service, posting deals and discounts or letting individuals know about new products. Because of this widespread adoption of social media within the retail industry, businesses that have yet to establish a strong presence on at least one social site should do so now or risk losing out to competition.
Small and medium retailers need to follow suit
Larger corporations have been leading the way of social media adoption, mainly to use for marketing campaigns as the sites allow brands to reach out to consumers throughout the world. This means they are no longer confined to broadcasting promotional messages to audiences in their general areas. On the other hand, it also means that small and medium merchants need to take a page out of the book of their larger counterparts.
Research from Internet Retailer discovered that out of the Top 500 retailers located throughout the world, only four are not present on social media networks. These large brands have learned the importance of maintaining pages on social sites, as consumers go online to interact with companies now, whether it is to browse for product information, get answers to their questions or resolve issues. The study also found that the most popular platforms that these retailers are using include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest, in that order.
Small merchants don't need significantly large presence
For many smaller companies, having a huge social media presence like larger retailers do is perhaps not possible, as these businesses are unable to devote the same kind of resources to social media as their big-name counterparts. However, being on social sites does not require extensive amount of effort – retailers can still see successful results no matter their size.
The Press-Enterprise suggests that companies first build a fan base of local consumers on social networks, and then ask those individuals to share brand-related information. Merchants can also request that shoppers check-in at their physical storefronts as well as share reviews on social platforms.
