Don’t Put All Your Marketing Eggs in One Basket
Do you remember the day that Facebook and Instagram went down?
#facebookdown and #instamageddon were actual hashtags, and they were trending for days.
As a biz coach who focuses primarily on marketing, I received dozens of emails, texts, and direct messages – each one full of distress:
“My posts aren’t showing up”
“I scheduled posts to go out today!”
“I can’t access my group”
“I had planned to go LIVE”
“I wanted to announce our new product”
It’s safe to say that marketers everywhere panicked during the Facebook outage this past March. Were you one of them?
Small biz owners use social media platforms, like Facebook, to market their business, build awareness, sell a product or service, and to grow a following. They get, or pay for, Likes, Comments — and if they are doing it “right” — they’re turning their social followers into paying customers. I’ve witnessed a biz or two focus 100 percent of their energy on one platform, like Facebook. Marketing professionals would agree this is not a sustainable way to market your small biz.
The “One Platform Strategy” brings some risks
Risk 1: Thinking your Social Media pages (i.e.: Facebook Business Page) are your property. We don’t “own” our fans/followers on Facebook. We never have and we never will — even if you paid for them!
Risk 2: Assuming your customers prefer to connect with you via social media, and so you completely avoid using email marketing to drive traffic to your website.
Risk 3: Your strategy style is formally known as “Winging It”
According to a study by B2B research firm Clutch.co, less than two-thirds (64 percent) of small businesses have a website.
Millions of small businesses all over the world rely solely on social media (it’s basically free) to market and sell to their customers. These are the same small businesses that most likely were panicked during the outage. They lost all connection with their followers and gained a clear perspective of what their biz would be like without social media. #scary
There were some exceptions
Small businesses that have a marketing strategy that includes both a website and email marketing.
This is because they could connect with their customers simply by sending an email campaign, and sharing links to an item or a page on their website to offer sales, promotions, or invite guests to events.
Small businesses that use an email marketing provider (such as Constant Contact) know the value of connecting with their audience/customers/dream clients outside of social media. They also know the value of building a relationship and sharing stories that allow their audience to get to know them better.
Not only is email marketing a low-cost method for getting the proverbial word out on any business, it also offers one of the best returns on investment (ROI) of your time. (Forbes)
During the ‘outage’, small biz owners that use email marketing knew they could connect with their customers rather than worry about when Facebook would come back online.
With each email campaign, you give your customers a gift… an opportunity to talk to you, learn from you, purchase from you, or hire you!
Your message is far too important to put all your marketing eggs into one basket (like Facebook).
Here are 3 solutions to make sure your message always reaches your audience:
Solution 1: Be consistent.
Like planning your workouts, plan your marketing. You need to flex that muscle repeatedly before you see results. Market even when you are not selling your “thing.” How do you do this? Share (personal) stories, allow your followers to get to know you better, and inspire them every chance you get!
Solution 2: Be picky.
Pay attention to where your dream client hangs out and market to them there. Your energy is important and if you are spread too thin trying to be on all the platforms, it will be reflected in the quality of your content. Social media is a piece of your marketing strategy – when used with your website, email marketing, ads, live events etc., you will see results.
Solution 3: Be intentional.
Gaining an email address (or even a “Like” to a business page) is a gift. When your future customers give you access to their inbox and news feed, it says they like what you’ve got! Social platforms help take your dream client on a journey. During that journey you can offer them a gift (freebie) to join your email list, and continue the journey with email marketing as an opportunity to connect more deeply with them by giving them what they came for.
As an online Biz Coach, I have guided thousands of small biz owners to connect more deeply with their dream clients using creative content ideas and a balanced marketing strategy which includes email marketing.
Want to be among the marketers who did not panic during #facebookdown? What’s one thing can you do today to Market Your Biz Better? Let us know on social @LoveYourBiz and @ConstantContact
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