Social media has taken us by storm in the last few years. I talked about the "popularity contest" in my post about Klout and how we are all vying for attention. Well, now that companies are starting to really see how much Social Media can be used as a tool to drive traffic to their sites and products, it seems we are inundated with companies and startups encouraging us to "like" them on Facebook, or to "follow" them on Twitter. (Of course, I'm not any different! I love the spot light as much as the next gal.)
So we know these sites are huge. They are everywhere. Mom-and-Pop-type-shops use them, big-box companies are using them, and credit card companies are using them. Have you noticed when you check into certain places on Four-Square that you can get a discount if you use an American Express card? It's a marketing tool. And a pretty darn good one, if you ask me.
Content marketing works.
If you think about it, it's pretty obvious as to why. We are always online. And this is not to say we are always at a computer. How many people do you know that don't have a smart phone these days? I know I don't know many. I work in an AT&T store, and I can honestly say about 85-90% of my customer base (depending on the time of year in relation to how close we are to an iPhone launch) is using a smartphone of some sort. Hell, I have TWO smartphones, an iPhone and the new Nokia Lumia. (Never thought I'd see the day that I liked a windows product.)
If you have a smartphone, think about the different apps you have. Facebook? Check. Twitter? Check? YouTube and LinkedIn? Check and check. And now there's Pinterest. (My newest obsession) And this is why content marketing works so well. You have access virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Have a really important thought that you want to share with your friends? Share it on Facebook and Twitter. Want your friends to know that you are at a really cool restaurant and that you'd love them to join you? Check in on Foursquare and have it cross-post to your Facebook and Twitter.
Now think about it from a business perspective. While you're busy Tweeting about your favorite new Mojito spot, you're probably also checking your feed. Any number of the folks you follow retweet content you likely to check out all the time. For example, that link I posted up there to the Nokia Lumia. Did you click it? You may not be interested in getting a new phone, but it is a new gadget and new gadgets are fun and exciting, right?
Most people who are on any of these social sites are on them to be social. As a general rule of thumb, these folks like to share. So why not get them sharing your content?
Case in point: I'm in the process right now of building a site for a colleague of mine who is a painter/mixed-media artist. Once her site is up and running, our plan is to start pinning images from her site on Pinterest. She's going to be doing the monthly First Thursday in Portland's Pearl district which features some of Portland's best and newest artists; and at these events, plans to promote her site as well as her Pinterest to get her name out there.
There are countless ways to use your social media accounts to spread your content and get your name out there. What is your strategy and what has been your outcome?
