Filed under: Notes From the Industry | Tags: consumers, Facebook, Michigan State University, MSU, New Media Drivers License, return on investment, ROI, search engine marketing, SEM, SM, social media, Twitter
It’s 2010 and everybody is hopping fences to get on the social media bandwagon. However, if you’re on this ride, you may have noticed that not everyone is exactly well-versed in the process. This is why I will be taking a brief break from your regularly scheduled program to touch on the subject. (For those of you who want to hear about music: Yes, I’m still listening to the new Alkaline Trio album like it’s my job.)
To help the SM beginner, I have highlighted the nine essential steps to social media marketing success:
1. Identify measurable goals.
For a company to participate in the online world, an offline, real-life person needs to maintain the account. This person also must be compensated. So, what is the point of putting forth the effort if there is no return? There is no point. Before diving into a project of any kind, attainable, measurable goals need to be laid out. With an eye on the prize, it is more likely to achieve it.
2. Determine a social media vanity name.
Consistency is the key to brand identity, marketing campaigns and Google searching. Without a key word, SEM marketing is not possible, and it will further prevent potential consumers from seeking out your company.
3. Research mediums your target audience frequents.
For Facebook, the fastest growing demographic is women over 55. On Twitter, young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 dominant the scene. Without proper research on the niche you are trying to reach in correlation with the medium, company dollars are wasted.
4. Create aesthetically pleasing layouts on social sites.
While content is important, no one will take the time to read it if your site looks: A) fraudulent B) unorganized or C) like a 5-year old made it. Make sure your hard work does not go unread.
5. Build an online network.
Take time to seek out followers who might benefit from your product or service. Site searches and recommendations are a great way to get the attention of potential consumers. Remember, if you can’t help them in any way, then you are essentially spamming them.
6. Generate informative, entertaining content.
While the obvious objective is to spread the word of your business, only talking about it can and will turn people away from your social site. Humor, horizontal business promotion or even slightly off-hand topics can keep the reader interested.
7. Involve your readers.
Contests, coupons and suggestion requests will keep the retweets and wall postings coming. People enjoy being involved in any business they throw money to. Not only does it encourage involvement but it ultimately increases brand loyalty.
8. Update mediums often.
Put simply: nobody regularly visits a website that is never updated. Do yourself a favor and give browsers a reason to increase your site’s traffic.
9. Regularly measure ROI in terms of your initial goals.
Make sure all of the effort you have put into your SM project has paid off. If it isn’t, modify accordingly.
Still feel lost in the tangled web of Google-buzzing, tweeting and linking? To get a more hands-on experience with improving your online presence, consider taking the New Media Drivers License course at Michigan State University. For more information, visit www.newmediadl.com or jump start your skills by following the course on Twitter.
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You usually won’t catch me “Becoming A Fan” of very many absurd groups on Facebook. That being said, I find this one so amazing that I must share it with you.
“Can This Pickle Get More Fans Than Nickelback?“
Current count:
Nickelback: 1,380,820
Pickle: 160,499
Filed under: Notes From the Industry | Tags: Facebook, Facebook Ads, Flickr, Google AdWords, Live Nation, Local Venues, Myspace, Promotion, Twitter, Yelp
Currently listening to: Straylight Run – Hands In the Sky
Not too long ago I had a conversation with the owner of a small venue in the East Lansing area. While this man was able to promote three other venues (located elsewhere) with no problem, he was now faced with a nearly empty venue with an internationally recognized band on stage. Confused with the turnout, we began discussing what his marketing team could be doing differently to battle this business owner’s nightmare.
- Social networking sites. It is important to connect with potential customers on a personal level. Using Twitter, Facebook , Flickr, and even MySpace (a couple people still use that, right?) will allow you to reach a potential market while they are in their element: wasting time on the internet. Keep in mind that use of these mediums must be consistent, informative and most importantly: entertaining.
- Hit the local market, hard. This means take advantage of newspapers (make sure you do your circulation research!), high school publications, radio (if there is an effective station near you) and sponsorships. Though you may not see immediate turnout, branding yourself in the area will pay off in the long run.
- Seek out promoters. Though not every venue has the luxury of residing in a college town, there are always inspiring artists to be found. Do some research and see if you can offer a photographer a backstage pass in exchange for concert photography. Maybe a graphic artist needs work for their portfolio and would be happy to design a flyer? Soon you’ll find this artwork spread throughout the net, word-of-mouth will take action, and you will have created a supporter of your business. If nothing else, people will promote themselves. Might as well let them promote your business while they’re at it.
- SWAG. Stuff we all get. Everybody likes getting free things, so it may not be a bad idea to occasionally give it to them– at a reasonable expense. This may be a key opportunity to team up with another local company. If swag isn’t in your budget, consider contests, giveaways and drink specials (assuming you have a bar) to hold the show-goers interest.
- Allow the headliner to bring their own bands. While supporting local music is almost always a good idea, if the headliner requests to bring along their friends, ABandThatIsBetterThanTheLocalAct, let them. Not only will they have a bigger following, but they will allow the headliner to get into their comfort zone and put on a better show. A less-than-desirable lineup (regardless of the headliner) makes all the difference in packing a venue.
- Target your audience. Take the time to find the fans of musical acts that will play your venue, and you will have found the key to a full house. Flyer the coffee shops and restaurants they frequent. Contact the band’s street team and offer a local member free admission for promoting the show. Use Google AdWords to cover the Web sites they often visit. Facebook Ads are a great way to target fans of specific bands geographically. Post acts on any site that will allow you to: your own (update often), Live Nation, Yelp, MySpace, Facebook (create an event!), the band’s Web site. Use local publications and sites to your advantage. Knowing the bands’ music and understanding their audience is an important and enjoyable venture!
- Continue to target your audience. Chances are, the fans of the bands playing at your show are between the ages of 13 and 18. The bad news is: teenagers get older and move. This means that your target demographic is ever-changing and thus, you need to be ever-promoting.
Can you think of any other effective ways to promote venues?
