Social Media: Cutting Through The Noise

Social media has become the new face of advertising. With everyone from major corporations to small, home businesses joining the social media marketing frenzy, how can one business stand out from the crowd? 

Seth Godin, in his book The Purple Cow, describes a family road trip. At first, appreciated, they get tired of the miles and miles of the same cows next to the highway. Suddenly, they see a purple cow. They take pictures, stop on the side of the road, and ask questions about its color. Why did that cow get attention when the others didn’t? Because it was remarkable. It cut through the noise.

If you are trying to grow your social media presence and influence, ask yourself how you can become remarkable. What will make people stop scrolling and pay attention?

We can start with relationships. According to the article, “10 Laws of Social Media Marketing”, in Entrepreneur online by Susan Gunelius, “building relationships is one of the most important parts of social media marketing success”.

The goal of any type of marketing is to attract and retain customers – one of the most important aspects of attaining this goal is to build a true and honest relationship with your potential customers.

How to Get Noticed on Social Media

One of the best ways to get noticed on social media is to provide something of value to potential consumers.

Everywhere people look; they see an ad for something – even for products that everyone uses, such as toilet paper! Who doesn't use toilet paper? Chances are the product or service you have to offer is not the only one of its kind being offered. Creating a successful social media marketing campaign requires something different than what everyone else offering the same product or service.

Social media outlets are the perfect place to provide something of value – something beyond sample products. Social media allows people to provide valuable information to consumers on a personal level. 

For instance, if the product is in the weight-loss niche, it could be beneficial to provide information to potential consumers about how obesity affects their overall health and how maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial in all areas of life – not simply to fit into this year’s bikini! Providing something of value can help you to attract new customers and retain existing customers.

Here are some quick laws to building social media presence.

Social Media is Social

There is no way around it. More than selling or getting your message across, you are building relationships. Social media requires interacting with followers and building a passionate audience. On the surface level, this means relevant posts and answering comments. But eventually, it turns into Direct Messages with fans, live virtual events, and more.

Social Media Needs a Vision

It’s not enough to just be active. Your social media should be very focused. What is the kind of value you want to give? Do people feel the same when they visit your profile? Decide what your brand voice will be and what kind of content you want to publish.

It’s Not Secondary

Ten years ago, many companies didn’t take social media seriously. It was new and unfamiliar. Now, entire brands depend on their success with social media. More people are living online more than ever. Especially after the Pandemic of 2020, people now immerse themselves in online communities. The only way to communicate with them and spread your brand reach is by immersing yourself too.

Social media is a powerful medium to connect with your audience and customers.

How to Find the Social Channel with Your Audience

To create a successful social media marketing campaign it is important to determine the demographics and habits of your audience. It's vital to uncover the audience that will be most receptive to the product or service.

A report from Business Insider breaks down the demographics of the social media platforms and could be a valuable tool in determining the social media outlet that best fits the product or service being offered. The report analyzes the income, gender, and age of users who most often use each network. For example, the target interests on Pinterest include food and drink as well as family and parenting. For younger audiences, Instagram might be the best choice – with 90% of its users being under the age of 35.

The biggest mistake a brand makes is adopting a platform that doesn’t have its audience. To them, it is justified. They see the potential of the platform. That makes sense, but they invest a big chunk of their resources in a place where their customers don’t hang out. That makes their strategy inefficient. If they go where their customers spend the majority of their time, they will see a greater impact.

Study platforms and try to focus only on a select view. Does your product lean on the creative side? Then maybe Instagram and Pinterest might be best for you. Do you run a local plumbing business for residents? Then perhaps Facebook and local social networks (like forums and groups) would be best for you.

Get Heard Above the Noise of Social Media

The main goal is to be heard above the noise of social media. To accomplish this, a digital marketing company must be active during the same periods as its target audience. Perhaps one of the greatest things about social media is the keyword “social”. Effective social marketing requires social interaction. A customer asking a question in a store would not be ignored for fear of the loss of that customer and the damage word-of-mouth negativity can have on a business.

With that in mind, it is just as important to acknowledge and respond to each question a customer or potential customer may pose on social media. Be Sociable, be knowledgeable, and offer something of value – and social media can become your arena of success.