social media marketing Archives - Hostetler Public Relations

By Shannon Philllips

Let’s face it, not only is social media here to stay, its dominating presence makes it essential for companies and organizations to think differently and creatively about communicating with target audiences.

Here are a few ideas to consider in developing your social media strategy:

Upgrade your “app” knowledge – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are popular platforms, but there are dozens of other apps (YouTube, Google+, Periscope, Snapchat, etc.) that are just as well-known and widely used. Before you create a social media strategy, spend time learning about various apps and how other companies and organizations use them. Remember, every app is not a perfect fit for every company. During your research, determine which apps will be most useful for your company or organization.

Here’s a list of popular social media apps to get you started in your research:

Top 5 Best Free Social Media Apps for iPhone & Android

Here’s a list of apps to watch in 2016:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/08/13/7-social-media-platforms-that-could-explode-before-2016/

Designate a social media person or team – It is impossible to have a social media strategy without a team or person to create, post and control content. To succeed in communicating your message on any social media platform, content must be consistent (at least one post/ tweet per day) and response to followers’ questions or concerns should be timely. That’s where a social media team or person comes in handy. In addition, assigning social media coordination ensures accurate communication of your message. So often, companies assign this task to 10 or 20 people without providing direction. Very little gets posted or messaging is inconsistent. The common phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” definitely applies here. Assign one to three people to maintain your social media pages to avoid these pitfalls.

Make social media part of your daily conversation – It’s easy to focus on traditional media (newspapers, TV, radio) during communication meetings. Always remember your followers on social media who will read the information on their timeline faster than reading it on a website. Social media is a great opportunity to get creative with messaging at no cost. Planning a BIG announcement? Build anticipation with photo posts or hints each day prior to the announcement. Share the big news on social media with a short video from the CEO with the website link for more information. Remember, this is your opportunity use YOUR page to engage thousands of YOUR followers. Keep your message short and to the point.

Social media can be a fast way to connect with customers and supporters. With a solid strategy and a bit of creativity, your company or organization will experience a different level of engagement.

Shannon Phillips coordinates social media for clients at Hostetler Public Relations.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, FourSquare, Vine and the list goes on and on. Social media marketing continues to explode as a communications platform both personally and professionally. But does it work?

Yes! I know it does. We’ve worked in and seen it work for clients.

First some stats and facts… (from a November FastCompany article)

The fastest growing demographic on Twitter is the 55-64 year-old (grown 79% since 2012).
189 million Facebook users are “mobile only.
YouTube reaches more U.S. adults aged 18–34 than any cable network.

So back to the question: Does social media really work for businesses?

During 4Q 2013 Hostetler Public Relations realized two great successes with social media. These are true tales of success:

True Tale #1

We’ve worked with an import/export company for several years. The company started a small social media campaign early 2013. We agreed only to post when it made sense. Most posts are related to their community relations campaign.

In December, the owner received an email from an Indianapolis-based mid-sized business. The company found my client on Twitter. The email simply said: We’ve been looking for a new importer. I found you on Twitter. When can we meet? The budget is sizable and the business could be lucrative. Nice!

True Tale #2

Right before Thanksgiving we received a phone call from a long-time friend of the company. This local businesswoman was trying her expertise at product development via crowd funding on Kickstarter. She had 14 days left to generate her funding goal. She was off by many thousand dollars.

We wrote a PRWeb release about the product and posted it to bloggers, linked, followed, friended professionals in the crowd funding business. This generate buzz on the right blogs online and ultimately the client hit her funding goal. All from chatting it up online in the right places!