Marketing Guru, Waseem Saddique is offering professional help to business on how to create awareness through social media marketing.
“There's no question that social media has taken over the globe. It is impacting the way organisations do business because many customers are using social networking as their primary mode of interaction,” says marketing expert Waseem Saddique.
Twitter officially claims to have 175 million registered users. In 2010 it was reported that LinkedIn had 50 million members, over the past 12 months LinkedIn has grown 100%, now having over 100 million professionals who use the platform worldwide. Facebook boast an astonishing 500 million users – 50% of users log-in at least once every 24 hours. (Econsultancy)
Registering an account with the major social network brands; Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn will have a major impact on how many people become aware of the service. However it is advised to take into account that not all of these outlets will be suitable for all businesses.
A 2008 study revealed that 69% of B2B buyers use social media to assist them in business development and decision making (About.com). Taking this into account social media marketing is an excellent opportunity.
“Try different strategies and see what works best for your business,” Waseem Saddique explains.
Consultants tend to find the most success through social media on Linkedin where as personal service businesses, such as hair salons and food outlets find more success through Facebook and Twitter.
Waseem Saddique advises: “Remember your primary goals of using social media. You need to engage with people to get a response. Interact with users - ask questions, write polls, and tell them about the service that your business is offering.”
Successful engagement will help to build up a network of people who know what the service is on offer and most importantly recommend to others.
“If you fail to update your social media accounts on a regular basis it says – not committed, and not bothered,” says Waseem Saddique.
It is advised to post regular news/discussions or polls regularly – this keeps ‘followers’ engaged and acts as a reminder of the service that is on offer.
Online marketing is an invaluable tool - make the most of social media to increase awareness of the services on offer.
Statistics from: About.com. 2011 and Econsultancy. 2011
